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The authors review current literature on etiology, pathogenesis and classification of biliary sludge (BS); they analyse factors promoting formation of BS and show that ultrasonic investigation is the key diagnostic method, detecting various forms of BS and differentiating BS with parietal new-growths of the gallbladder, evaluating function of the latter and controlling efficacy of conservative therapy. Follow-up results demonstrate that BS can disappear spontaneously, be persistent in a part of patients, form stones in 20% patients. Clinical picture in BS has no specific symptoms but in 33-75% cases it is associated with development of biliary pancreatitis as a results of secondary dysfunction of the Oddi's sphincter. The latest findings on efficacy of litholytic therapy in BS and data on possible use of nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs as inhibitors of mucin production to prevent recurrent cholelithiasis are presented.
We have studied the influence of Etmosin medication on severity of IHD clinical presentations and comprised biliary motility in 162 patients aged 26 to 60. Dynamic echocholecystography (DECG) has been applied. The obtained data suggest using Etmosin in patients with ischemic heart disease and comprised biliary motility makes for normalizing tonus of the Odi sphincter and decreasing the rate of episodes of angina pectoris, although was not found any influence of Etmosin on gall-bladder motility. The use of Etmosin enables in patients with IHD and comprised biliary motility to decrease reflex angina pectoris.
We review the pathogenesis of cholesterol gallstones, which occur in five steps: 1) metabolic; 2) chemical; 3) nucleation, 4) growing and maturation of gallstones; 5) clinical. It is emphasized that in the third step it could occur an arenous precipitate formed by cholesterol crystals, calcium bilirrubinate granules, calcium phosphate, or fatty acids anions and calcium, and mucin, called "biliary sludge", which has been associated with cholecystitis and pancreatitis. We describe the gallbladder motor abnormalities that occur during the lithogenesis and the diagnostic approach through scintigraphy and real time ultrasound. We review the pancreatobiliary dyskinesia, a condition associated with the postcholecystectomy syndrome. This later condition can result from anatomic stenosis or dyskinetic dysfunction of the sphincter of Oddi. Likewise, it is pointed out that at the present time, the manometric evaluation of the sphincter of Oddi is the gold standard in the diagnostic approach of this condition.
Biliary aetiology seems related to a number of acute pancreatitis: biliary sludge and dysfunction at the sphincter of Oddi appear to be responsible for most cases pancreatitis previously classified as idiopathic. The presence and extent of necrosis and its overinfection are the two main factors responsible for history and prognosis of acute pancreatitis: CT scan may can correctly recognize them, whereas multiparametric and biohumoral prognosis have lost a lot of their importance. Supportive medical treatment is essential in the early phase of the disease, while antisecretory and antiprotease drugs do not show a clear clinical efficacy. Antibiotics, if active against bacteria usually found in pancreatic infections and able to concentrate in pancreatic tissue, seem to prevent the septic complications of pancreatitis; the role of topical antibiotics and enteral feeding in preventing bacterial translocation needs further evaluation in the future. Early endoscopic treatment is gaining importance for biliary, or suspected biliary, pancreatitis, whereas in selected cases percutaneous drainage is able to deal with septic complications. Surgery remains an effective when infected necrosis are detected and in cases of extended sterile necrosis with organ failure.
The effect of propofol was studied in 11 patients who had common bile duct sphincter of Oddi manometry for suspected dysfunction. Patients were initially sedated with midazolam and then further or resedated with propofol for the second set of pressure measurements. Recordings were made about 10 min after giving each drug. No patient had elevated basal pressure initially. Average basal pressure was unchanged (16.7 +/- 16.4 mm Hg), phasic contraction frequency was unchanged (3.4 +/- 3.8/min), and phasic contraction amplitude fell but did not achieve statistical significance (91.8 +/- 77.3 mm Hg, P = 0.1). There was no difference in lowest blood pressure, pulse, or oxygen saturation recorded during midazolam or propofol sedation. Subjectively, the patients were more sedated during propofol administration. It is concluded that propofol is a safe and effective agent for conscious sedation. It does not alter the sphincter of Oddi pressure profile in patients with normal basal sphincter pressures and thus could be used as an alternative and perhaps better form of sedation for ERCP with sphincter of Oddi manometry.
The trypsin level in bile was studied by radioimmunoassay in a prospective series of 63 patients with gallstone disease but without signs or symptoms of cholecystitis or pancreatitis in order to find indirect evidence of a retrograde flow of pancreatic juice. Mobile duct stones were present in 18 patients and impacted stones in 12. The remaining 33 patients had stones only in the gallbladder and served as controls. The average intraoperative trypsin level of the ductal bile was normal, both in the control group and in the group with stones occluding a potential retrograde reflux of pancreatic juice. After removal of the impacted stones, the bile showed a significantly higher trypsin level. The average intraoperative trypsin level for the group with mobile stones was significantly higher than that of the control group, and was further increased 10 days postoperatively. The trypsin level of ductal bile from 23 of the 30 patients (77%) with bile duct stones exceeded that of the 33 patients with stone-free bile ducts, indicating an inflow of pancreatic juice to the bile ducts of patients with bile duct stones. The present results correspond well to those in a previous report on retrograde phasic contractions of the sphincter of Oddi in the majority of patients with bile duct stones. This dysfunction of the sphincter, which persisted for 10 days after surgical stone removal, may be the primary disorder, probably consisting of a retrograde propulsive activity of the sphincter of Oddi.
BACKGROUND: Placement of stents above an intact sphincter of Oddi might prevent migration of bacteria and deposition of organic material into the stent. In patients with malignant obstructive jaundice prolongation of function time of the stent would be expected if it is placed above the sphincter of Oddi. METHODS: Thirty-four patients were randomized to stent placement either above (n = 17) or across (n = 17) the sphincter of Oddi. Straight 10F gauge Teflon stents were used. The patients were evaluated clinically and biochemically at monthly intervals during follow-up. RESULTS: The median stent function time (i.e., the time from insertion of the stent until stent replacement, patient death, or study termination) were 110 days (25th to 75th percentiles, 61 to 320 days) for stents placed above the sphincter of Oddi and 126 days (25th to 75th percentiles, 89 to 175 days) for stents placed across the sphincter of Oddi (nonsignificant [NS]). Stent replacement rates were 58.8% (10 of 17) in patients with stents placed above the sphincter and 29.4% (5 of 17) in patients with stents placed across the sphincter (NS). Significantly more patients in the former group experienced stent migration (9 vs. 2, p = 0.026). The median time from stent insertion until replacement of the stents placed above and across the sphincter of Oddi were 82 days (25th to 75th percentiles, 31 to 185 days) and 89 days (25th to 75th percentiles, 13 to 150 days), respectively (NS). CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference in overall stent performance between the two groups was found, although more stents placed above the sphincter of Oddi migrated. The time until dysfunction of the stent might be increased if migration of stents placed inside the common bile duct could be avoided.
UNLABELLED: In a retrospective evaluation, the outcome of the long term treatment of the sphincter of Oddi dyskinesia (OD, type III. dysfunction) has been analysed. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Therapeutic results of 64 cholecystectomised patients with OD were evaluated by means of regular follow-up and questionnaire filled in either by the patients or their practitioners. RESULTS: Conservative treatment (nitroglycerin, calcium channel blocker or both) resulted in symptom-free condition or improvement with 53% of the patients (37/64). Out of 27 patients whose condition did not improve by combined drug therapy, in 20 cases endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) and in 1 case transduodenal sphincterotomy were performed. Having followed sphincterotomy, out of 21 patients only 9 became symptom-free and 5 improved. CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic benefit of sphincter relaxants fail in nearly half of the cases with OD, and even sphincterotomy can lead to symptomless condition only in a portion of OD. Regarding the high incidence of complications following EST in OD, it can only be recommended after failure of the conservative therapy in correctly diagnosed cases. The results emphasise a need for a prospective randomised controlled clinical study to seek for the optimal therapeutic regimen.
We report a case of dorsal pancreatic hypoplasia complicated with atresia of the vagina, type-A chronic atrophic gastritis, duodenal papillary dysfunction, and insulin-requiring diabetes mellitus, in a 32-yr-old woman. The laboratory data showed elevated hepatobiliary enzymes. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) revealed a slightly dilated common bile duct and a short major pancreatic duct connected with a minor pancreatic duct. Ultrasonography and computerized tomography could not identify any pancreatic tissue in the region of the body or tail of the pancreas. The pancreatic tissue weight calculated by the serial thin slice of computerized tomography was 43.1 g, approximately 45% of the standard Japanese adult pancreas. Reevaluated pancreatic exocrine function based on this weight showed a hypersecretory state. The pancreatic ductal pressure was slightly increased, and the motility of the sphincter of Oddi (SO) was abnormal when measured with a 4Fr. microtransducer inserted through a duodenoscope. These findings suggest that dysfunction of the sphincter of Oddi may play some role in the pathophysiology in the hypoplasia of the dorsal pancreas and pancreaticobiliary diseases associated with it.
In addition to the detection of gallstones, common bile duct stones, and narrowed and dilated bile ducts, recent advancements in imaging techniques now make it possible to diagnose microlithiasis, pathology of normal-size ducts, and dysfunction of the gallbladder and the sphincter of Oddi (SO). More and more frequently, noninvasive imaging techniques obviate the risk of invasive investigation. These techniques can also take the place of unsuccessful or contraindicated direct cholangiography, and they play an essential role in treatment planning and diagnosis of postoperative complications. Transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) remains fundamental for initial assessment of the biliary tract. Technical developments make magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography the most promising diagnostic technique of the biliary tract. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is most helpful for detection of microlithiasis and evaluation of the ampullary region, the periductal structures, and the regional lymph nodes in neoplastic diseases. Cholescintigraphy is most valuable to assess bile dynamics in the diagnosis of gallbladder and SO dysfunction and in postoperative bile leakage.
A 64-yr-old woman with ERCP manometry proven papillary dysfunction is described. This patient responded to nitrate therapy with disappearance of the pain and decrease in both basal and phasic sphincter activity. It is suggested that nitrate administration should be used to distinguish between patients with functional and organic pathology of the sphincter of Oddi. Nitrate therapy should be tried in patients with papillary dysfunction and only if this fails, should endoscopic sphincterotomy be considered.
The term "dysfunction" defines the motor disorders of the gall bladder and the sphincter of Oddi (SO) without note of the potential etiologic factors for the difficulty to differentiate purely functional alterations from subtle structural changes. Dysfunction of the gall bladder and/or SO produces similar patterns of biliopancreatic pain and SO dysfunction may occur in the presence of the gall bladder. The symptom-based diagnostic criteria of gall bladder and SO dysfunction are episodes of severe steady pain located in the epigastrium and right upper abdominal quadrant which last at least 30 minutes. Gall bladder and SO dysfunctions can cause significant clinical symptoms but do not explain many instances of biliopancreatic type of pain. The syndrome of functional abdominal pain should be differentiated from gall bladder and SO dysfunction. In the diagnostic workup, invasive investigations should be performed only in the presence of compelling clinical evidence and after non-invasive testing has yielded negative findings. Gall bladder dysfunction is suspected when laboratory, ultrasonographic, and microscopic bile examination have excluded the presence of gallstones and other structural abnormalities. The finding of decreased gall bladder emptying at cholecystokinin-cholescintigraphy is the only objective characteristic of gall bladder dysfunction. Symptomatic manifestation of SO dysfunction may be accompanied by features of biliary obstruction (biliary-type SO dysfunction) or significant elevation of pancreatic enzymes and pancreatitis (pancreatic-type SO dysfunction). Biliary-type SO dysfunction occurs more frequently in postcholecystectomy patients who are categorized into three types. Types I and II, but not type III, have biochemical and cholangiographic features of biliary obstruction. Pancreatic-type SO dysfunction is less well classified into types. When non-invasive investigations and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopanreatography show no structural abnormality, manometry of both biliary and pancreatic sphincter may be considered.
Meperidine is routinely proscribed during sphincter of Oddi manometry because narcotics have been associated with spasm of the sphincter of Oddi. We have performed a prospective study of the effect of meperidine on sphincter of Oddi manometry in 18 patients undergoing manometry for suspected sphincter dysfunction. After diagnostic manometry using only intravenous diazepam sedation, the endoscope remained in the duodenum while 1 mg/kg intravenous meperidine was given. Five minutes later sphincter manometry was repeated. There was no difference in the baseline sphincter pressure before and after meperidine in all patients. The frequency of phasic contractions increased after meperidine (p = 0.001). Baseline sphincter pressure is generally the only manometric criteria used to diagnose sphincter dysfunction and this did not change after meperidine. We conclude that meperidine may be used for additional analgesia during sphincter manometry. This may improve patient tolerance and the success rate of this procedure.
BACKGROUND: When sphincter of Oddi manometry (SOM) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography are performed at the same session, SOM is usually performed immediately before ductography because of concern about the accuracy of the manometric recording after contrast medium injection. However, it would be preferable to inject contrast medium first to identify other causes for a patient's symptoms, allowing selective use of SOM. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cholangiography on sphincter of Oddi (SO) basal pressure. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with suspected SO dysfunction were prospectively studied. Conventional station pull-through manometry of the biliary part of the sphincter was performed before and after cholangiography. The intraductal pressure and basal sphincter pressure were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean intraductal pressure was 8+/-5.5 mm Hg before and 13.3+/-6.8 mm Hg after contrast medium injection (p< 0.01). However, the basal sphincter pressure was not significantly altered (52.9+/-42.1 mm Hg vs. 55.1+/-38.1 mm Hg, p = 0.52). Concordance (normal vs. abnormal) between the basal sphincter pressure before and after ductography was seen in 24 of 25 patients (96%). CONCLUSIONS: Intraductal installation of contrast medium immediately before SOM infrequently alters SO basal pressure in a clinically significant manner. We therefore believe that this sequence can be utilized in clinical practice.
The examination of 68 patients with biliary dysfunction determined hypokinesia of the gallbladder in 40, sphincter of Oddi spasm in 15 and combination of the two conditions in 13 patients. Blood biochemical indices showed no differences in patients with biliary dyskinesia compared to normal subjects except for alkaline phosphatase levels elevated in 35.3% of patients. This suggests the development of biliary hypertension and cholestasis. All the patients demonstrated disturbed colloid stability of the bile, in those with combined dyskinesia it became lithogenic. Helium-neon and semiconductor laser radiation of biologically active points and the hepatic region, respectively, improved the patients' performance status. The pain and dyspepsia discontinued. The function of the gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi recovered. Positive changes occurred in the blood and bile biochemistry. Laser therapy promoted bilirubin and bile cholesterol decrease. Cholic acid concentration grew, lithogenic characteristics of the bile returned to normal. It is inferred that laser therapy of biliary dyskinesia proved effective.
The hepatic hilum-duodenum transit time (HHDT) was evaluated in cholecystectomized subjects to assess its relationship with the motor function of the sphincter of Oddi (SO) and its diagnostic accuracy in the detection of SO dysfunction. The study was performed in asymptomatic controls and symptomatic patients with SO dysfunction before and after sphincterotomy. HHDT showed a direct correlation with manometric SO maximal basal pressure (r = 0.77; P < 0.001) but not with SO phasic activity. In sphincterotomized subjects HHDT did not differ from that of the asymptomatic subjects, and HHDT, which was prolonged before sphincterotomy, normalized after sphincterotomy. HHDT had a 100% specificity and an 83% sensitivity in diagnosing SO dysfunction when compared to SO manometry. In conclusion, the cholescintigraphic HHDT is mainly related to the SO maximal basal pressure, presenting an elevated specificity and a satisfactory sensitivity in the diagnosis of SO dysfunction in cholecystectomized subjects.
History, physical examination, simple laboratory and radiological tests, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are able to establish the cause of recurrent acute pancreatitis in 70% to 90% of patients. Dysfunction of the biliary and/or pancreatic sphincter, as identified by sphincter of Oddi manometry, accounts for the majority of the remaining cases. The diagnosis may be missed if the pancreatic sphincter is not evaluated. Pancreas divisum is a prevalent congenital abnormality that is usually innocuous but can lead to recurrent attacks of acute pancreatitis or abdominal pain. In select cases, endoscopic sphincterotomy of the minor papilla can provide relief of symptoms and prevent further attacks. A small proportion of patients with idiopathic pancreatitis have tiny stones in the common bile duct (microlithiasis). Crystals can be visualized during microscopic analysis of bile that is aspirated at the time of ERCP. Neoplasia is a rare cause of pancreatitis, and the diagnosis can usually be established by computerized tomography or ERCP. A wide variety of medications can also cause recurrent pancreatitis. ERCP, sphincter of Oddi manometry, and microscopy of aspirated bile should be undertaken in patients with recurrent pancreatitis in whom the diagnosis is not obvious.