Long-Term Outcome of Self Expandable Metal Stents for Biliary Obstruction in Chronic Pancreatitis

Context Insertion of a self-expandable metal stent is still controversial for treatment of benign common bile duct stenosis but can be a valuable alternative to surgical treatment. Objective Aim of our study was to analyze the efficacy of covered and uncovered self-expandable metal stent in patients with chronic pancreatitis and common bile duct stenosis. Material and methods Twenty patients with common bile duct stenosis due to alcoholic chronic pancreatitis were retrospective analyzed. All patients had advanced chronic pancreatitis, presenting with calcifications in pancreatic head. Uncovered self-expandable metal stent (uSEMS) were used in 11 patients (3 females, 8 males) while in 9 patients (3 females, 6 males) partially covered self-expandable metal stent (cSEMS) were inserted. All patients treated with self-expandable metal stent had contraindications for surgery. Results Overall mean follow up time was 155 weeks: 206 (52-412) weeks in uSEMS, and 93 (25-233) weeks in cSEMS, respectively. Stent patency was in mean 118 weeks: 159 (44-412) weeks in uSEMS and 67 (25-150) weeks in cSEMS (P=0.019). In the uSEMS group, reintervention was necessary in 5 patients (45%) due to stent obstruction, whereas in the cSEMS group 4 patients (44%) needed reintervention (2 obstructions, 2 migration). Stent migration is an early complication, compared to obstruction (P<0.05), and in cSEMS obstruction occurred significantly earlier compared to uSEMS (P<0.05). Conclusion Patency of uSEMS was significantly longer compared to partially cSEMS. Available self-expandable metal stent, unfortunately, do not meet the demands on successful treatment of benign common bile duct stenosis.Image: Kaplan-Meier-plot of estimated stent patency

Paraduodenal pancreatitis – problem in the groove

Background Paraduodenal pancreatitis (PDP) is a particular form of chronic pancreatitis (CP) occurring in and around the duodenal wall. Despite its low prevalence, this rare condition presents a significant challenge in clinical practice. Methods We retrospectively analysed the electronic medical charts of all patients with a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and identified those with PDP, between January 1999 and December 2020. Results There were 35 patients diagnosed with PDP (86% males and 14% females); median age of 56 ± 11 (range 38–80). Alcohol overconsumption was reported in 81% and smoking in 90% of patients. Abdominal pain was the leading symptom (71%), followed by weight loss, nausea and vomiting, jaundice, and diarrhoea. In 23 patients (66%), recurrent acute pancreatitis attacks were noted. Focal duodenal wall thickening was present in 34 patients (97%), cystic lesions in 80%, pancreatic duct dilatation in 54% and common bile duct dilatation in 46%. Endoscopic treatment was performed on nine patients (26%) and five patients (14%) underwent surgery. Complete symptom relief was reported in 12 patients (34%), partial symptom relief in three (9%), there was no improvement in five (14%), data were not available in three (9%) and 12 (34%) patients died before data analysis. Conclusions PDP is a rare form of pancreatitis, most commonly occurring in the 5th or 6th decade of life, with a predominance in males and patients with a history of smoking and high alcohol consumption. Focal thickening and cystic lesions of the duodenal wall are the most common imaging findings, followed by pancreatic duct and common bile duct dilatation. A minority of patients requires surgery

Risk of Developing Pancreatic Cancer in Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis

Background: Patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) have an increased risk of developing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We present data on PDAC in one of the most extensive European single-centre cohort studies of patients with CP. Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of patients with CP was performed. Aetiology of CP was determined according to the M-ANNHEIM classification system and only patients with definite CP > 18 years at data analysis were included. The final dataset included 581 patients with definite CP diagnosed between 2003 and 2018. Results: At CP diagnosis, there were 371 (63.9%) males and 210 (36.1%) females (median age 57 years, range 2–86). During 3423 person-years of observation, six pancreatic cancers were diagnosed (0.2% year). The mean time between diagnosis of CP and the occurrence of PDAC was 5.0 years (range 2.7–8.6). None of the cancer patients had a family history of PDAC. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was present in five of six (83.3%) patients with PDAC: in three patients before and in two after CP diagnosis. Clinical/laboratory signs of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI) were present in five of six (83.3%) patients with PDAC: in two at diagnosis of CP and in three after diagnosis. The mean survival time was 4 months after the diagnosis of PDAC (range 0.5–13). PDAC occurred significantly more often (p < 0.001) in two groups of patients without previous acute pancreatitis (AP): 2 of 20 patients (10%) with low body mass index (BMI) and PEI and in 3 of 10 (30%) patients with high BMI and DM at diagnosis of CP. Conclusions: Patients with CP have a high risk of developing PDAC, although risk is low in absolute terms. Our data suggest the possibility of defining subgroups of patients with a particularly elevated risk of PDAC. Such a possibility would open a path to personalised decision making on initiation of PDAC surveillance of patients with no previous episode of AP, (i) with low BMI and PEI, or (ii) elevated BMI and DM

Vitamins D and K as Factors Associated with Osteopathy in Chronic Pancreatitis: A Prospective Multicentre Study (P-BONE Study)

Background: Osteopathy is common in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), but previous studies carry several limitations. Vitamin K is essential for bone metabolism, but its role in this setting has never been investigated. Our aim is to assess the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in CP patients, and to investigate the association between osteopathy and CP features and nutritional parameters, especially vitamin D and K levels. Methods: Multicentre cross-sectional study on CP patients diagnosed according to M-ANNHEIM criteria. Bone density was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and pancreatic function by faecal elastase. Nutritional evaluation included vitamin D and vitamin K. Differences between patients with or without osteopathy were evaluated. The association between investigated variables and bone density were analysed with logistic regression analysis. Results: In total, 211 CP patients were enrolled at eight Centres (67% men; mean age 60). In total, 18% had advanced-marked CP, 56% suffered from pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and disease aetiology was alcoholic in 43%. Vitamin D and K were deficient in 56% and 32%, respectively. Osteopenia was diagnosed in 42% and osteoporosis in 22%. In the multivariate analysis, female sex (OR 2.78), age (OR 1.07 per year) and higher BMI (OR 0.84) were associated with the presence of osteoporosis. In male patients, the only factor associated with osteoporosis was vitamin K deficiency (OR 4.23). Conclusion: The present data confirm a high rate of osteopathy in CP patients and highlight the relevance of vitamin K deficiency as only factor associated with osteoporosis in male patients for the first time

Endoscopic papillectomy for ampullary lesions in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis compared with sporadic lesions:A propensity score-matched cohort

Background Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a rare inherited syndrome that predisposes the patient to cancer. Treatment of FAP-related ampullary lesions is challenging and the role of endoscopic papillectomy has not been elucidated. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of endoscopic papillectomy in matched cohorts of FAPrelated and sporadic ampullary lesions (SALs). Methods This retrospective multicenter study included 1422 endoscopic papillectomy procedures. Propensity score matching including age, sex, comorbidity, histologic subtype, and size was performed. Main outcomes were complete resection (R0), technical success, complications, and recurrence. Results Propensity score matching identified 202 patients (101 FAP, 101 SAL) with comparable baseline characteristics. FAP patients were mainly asymptomatic (79.2% [95 %CI 71.2-87.3] vs. 46.5% [95 %CI 36.6-56.4]); P &lt; 0.001). The initial R0 rate was significantly lower in FAP patients (63.4% [95%CI 53.8-72.9] vs. 83.2% [95%CI 75.8-90.6]; P = 0.001). After repeated interventions (mean 1.30 per patient), R0 was comparable (FAP 93.1% [95%CI 88.0-98.1] vs. SAL 97.0% [95%CI 93.7-100]; P = 0.19). Adverse events occurred in 28.7%. Pancreatitis and bleeding were the most common adverse events in both groups. Severe adverse events were rare (3.5 %). Overall, 21 FAP patients (20.8% [95%CI 12.7-28.8]) and 16 SAL patients (15.8% [95%CI 8.6-23.1]; P = 0.36) had recurrence. Recurrences occurred later in FAP patients (25 [95 %CI 18.3-31.7] vs. 2 [95 %CI CI 0.06-3.9] months). Conclusions Endoscopic papillectomy was safe and effective in FAP-related ampullary lesions. Criteria for endoscopic resection of ampullary lesions can be extended to FAP patients. FAP patients have a lifetime risk of relapse even after complete resection, and require long-time surveillance.</p

Endoscopic papillectomy for ampullary lesions in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis compared with sporadic lesions:A propensity score-matched cohort

Background Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a rare inherited syndrome that predisposes the patient to cancer. Treatment of FAP-related ampullary lesions is challenging and the role of endoscopic papillectomy has not been elucidated. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of endoscopic papillectomy in matched cohorts of FAPrelated and sporadic ampullary lesions (SALs). Methods This retrospective multicenter study included 1422 endoscopic papillectomy procedures. Propensity score matching including age, sex, comorbidity, histologic subtype, and size was performed. Main outcomes were complete resection (R0), technical success, complications, and recurrence. Results Propensity score matching identified 202 patients (101 FAP, 101 SAL) with comparable baseline characteristics. FAP patients were mainly asymptomatic (79.2% [95 %CI 71.2-87.3] vs. 46.5% [95 %CI 36.6-56.4]); P &lt; 0.001). The initial R0 rate was significantly lower in FAP patients (63.4% [95%CI 53.8-72.9] vs. 83.2% [95%CI 75.8-90.6]; P = 0.001). After repeated interventions (mean 1.30 per patient), R0 was comparable (FAP 93.1% [95%CI 88.0-98.1] vs. SAL 97.0% [95%CI 93.7-100]; P = 0.19). Adverse events occurred in 28.7%. Pancreatitis and bleeding were the most common adverse events in both groups. Severe adverse events were rare (3.5 %). Overall, 21 FAP patients (20.8% [95%CI 12.7-28.8]) and 16 SAL patients (15.8% [95%CI 8.6-23.1]; P = 0.36) had recurrence. Recurrences occurred later in FAP patients (25 [95 %CI 18.3-31.7] vs. 2 [95 %CI CI 0.06-3.9] months). Conclusions Endoscopic papillectomy was safe and effective in FAP-related ampullary lesions. Criteria for endoscopic resection of ampullary lesions can be extended to FAP patients. FAP patients have a lifetime risk of relapse even after complete resection, and require long-time surveillance.</p