Search

Background: Pancreaticobiliary maljunctions (PBMs) are congenital anomalies of the junction between pancreatic and bile ducts, frequently associated with bile duct cyst (BDC). BDC is congenital biliary tree diseases that are characterized by distinctive dilatation types of the extra- and/or intrahepatic bile ducts. Todani’s types I and IVa, in which dilatation involves principally the main bile duct, are the most frequent. PBM induces pancreatic juice reflux into the biliary tract that is supposed to be one of the main factors of biliary cancer degeneration, although the diagnostic criteria of PBM that can be either morphological and/or functional are not well defined especially in Western series. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relative prevalence of PBM in BDC in a large European multicenter study, to analyze the characteristics of PBM and try to propose diagnostic criteria of PBMs based on morphological and/or functional criteria and define the positive, negative predictive values, sensibility and specificity of either criteria. Results: From 1975 to 2012, 263 patients with BDC were analyzed. Among them, 190 (72.2%) were considered to present PBM. Types I and IVa had a similar rate of PBM association. According to the “AFC classification,” 57.2% had a C–P type, 34.5% a P–C type and 8.3% a complex type (“anse-de-seau”). The median length of the common channel in patients with PBM was 15.8±6.8mm (range 5–40mm). The median intrabiliary amylase and lipase levels were 65,249 and 172,104UI/L, respectively. For the diagnostic of PBM, a common channel length of more than 8mm and an intrabiliary amylase level superior to 8000UI/L were associated with a predictive positive value and a specificity of more than 90%. Synchronous biliary cancer had an incidence of 8.7% in all patients with BDC and PBM 11.1% in adults. Compared to type IV, the type I BDC was associated with statistically more cancer patients in the presence of PBM. Conclusions: Characteristics of PBM associated with BDC in Western population are quite close to reported Eastern series. The results suggest considering both the intrabiliary value of amylase >8000UI/L and a length of a common channel >8mm as appropriate values for positive diagnosis of PBM.

Summary Background Surgical resection alone is regarded as the standard of care for patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer, but relapse is common. We assessed the combination of perioperative chemotherapy and surgery compared with surgery alone for patients with initially resectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Methods This parallel-group study reports the trial's final data for progression-free survival for a protocol unspecified interim time-point, while overall survival is still being monitored. 364 patients with histologically proven colorectal cancer and up to four liver metastases were randomly assigned to either six cycles of FOLFOX4 before and six cycles after surgery or to surgery alone (182 in perioperative chemotherapy group vs 182 in surgery group). Patients were centrally randomised by minimisation, adjusting for centre and risk score. The primary objective was to detect a hazard ratio (HR) of 0·71 or less for progression-free survival. Primary analysis was by intention to treat. Analyses were repeated for all eligible (171 vs 171) and resected patients (151 vs 152). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00006479. Findings In the perioperative chemotherapy group, 151 (83%) patients were resected after a median of six (range 1–6) preoperative cycles and 115 (63%) patients received a median six (1–8) postoperative cycles. 152 (84%) patients were resected in the surgery group. The absolute increase in rate of progression-free survival at 3 years was 7·3% (from 28·1% [95·66% CI 21·3–35·5] to 35·4% [28·1–42·7]; HR 0·79 [0·62–1·02]; p=0·058) in randomised patients; 8·1% (from 28·1% [21·2–36·6] to 36·2% [28·7–43·8]; HR 0·77 [0·60–1·00]; p=0·041) in eligible patients; and 9·2% (from 33·2% [25·3–41·2] to 42·4% [34·0–50·5]; HR 0·73 [0·55–0·97]; p=0·025) in patients undergoing resection. 139 patients died (64 in perioperative chemotherapy group vs 75 in surgery group). Reversible postoperative complications occurred more often after chemotherapy than after surgery (40/159 [25%] vs 27/170 [16%]; p=0·04). After surgery we recorded two deaths in the surgery alone group and one in the perioperative chemotherapy group. Interpretation Perioperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 is compatible with major liver surgery and reduces the risk of events of progression-free survival in eligible and resected patients. Funding Swedish Cancer Society, Cancer Research UK, Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, US National Cancer Institute, Sanofi-Aventis.

article; AIM OF THE STUDY: Splenic artery embolization has been used as an adjunct to the non-surgical management of blunt splenic injury. No consensus on its indications has emerged from the literature. This multicentric study aimed to evaluate the results of this technique in France. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between March 2000 and April 2006, 22 patients older than 15 years of age (mean age 29, range: 15-59) with splenicv rupture due to blunt trauma underwent splenic artery embolization in six Level I Trauma Centers in France. Splenic rupture was classified Moore II in 3 cases, Moore III in 12 cases, and Moore IV in 7 cases. Angiography was performed within 4 hours of admission in half of the cases. The main indications for splenic artery embolization were: extravasation of contrast medium on CT scan (10 cases, 45%); early pseudo-aneurysm (6 cases, 23%); hypotension despite fluid resuscitation and/or progressive need for transfusion (5 cases, 22%). RESULTS: There was no mortality. Nine patients experienced complications (41%) including 6 (27%) who developed left pleural effusion. Two patients eventually underwent splenectomy (one for persistent hemorrhage, one for splenic necrosis). The overall splenic salvage rate was 91%. CONCLUSION: Splenic artery embolization is a valuable techniche that hels to lower the rate of splenectomy for traumatic splenic rupture with relatively low morbidity.

In general, frontal sections of the liver in magnetic resonance imaging are used less than sections passing through other planes of space. Frontal sections of the trunk in magnetic resonance imaging involving the liver, performed in over 80 patients for various reasons, were compared with frontal sections of the trunk made in 10 cadavers. A general schema was established of the anatomy of the liver studied in the frontal plane. Frontal sections in magnetic resonance imaging make it possible to form a very good estimate of the structure and size of the liver, and to recognize individual variations. They clearly show certain inferior relations of the liver. In particular, frontal sections in magnetic resonance imaging make it possible to identify most of the main veins of the liver, the main lobar veins and branches of the portal vein, and to properly study the entire retrohepatic portion of the inferior vena cava. Some of the vascular images were found almost constantly in the sections of the various subjects. The right lobe of the liver is more accessible to such study than the left by reason of its structure and its venous arrangements. Frontal sections of the liver in magnetic resonance imaging constitute a preferential method for studying the anatomy of the liver. Together with transverse sections, they make it possible to specify the site and venous relations of a pathologic process within the liver, with a view to hepatectomy.

Aberrant biliary ducts (vasa aberrantia) represent a morphological anomaly rather than an anatomical variation of the biliary tree. They have been recognised by anatomists for many years. They are inconstant but fairly frequent and are situated on the surface of the liver in a fibrous envelope or are to be found suspended, in particular in the left triangular ligament. One of them is the sub vesicular duct (ductus subvesicalis), situated in the gallbladder fossa and accounts for more than a third of cases. The vasa aberrantia are in continuity with the intrahepatic bile ducts but they appear to have lost their relationship with the hepatic parenchyma, draining no particular region of the liver. They are not accompanied by arteries and veins which together with the bile ducts normally constitute the portal triad. The vasa aberrantia should be known by surgeons because their existence can sometimes explain the origin of certain cases of biliary peritonitis or on occasions a choleperitonitis following the section of the left hepatic triangular ligament. The frequency of a subvesicular duct is such as to justify routine drainage of the gallbladder bed following cholecystectomy.

Les diverses techniques de la DPC doivent exploiter le dispositif anatomique en tenant compte avant tout: - de la disposition du peritoine resultant des remaniements survenus au cours du developpement embryologique, - des rapports du pancreas avec le tronc veineux mesenterico-portal et ses affluents, - de la disposition des arteres du pancreas et des visceres voisins qui appartiennent a un systeme d'irrigation regionale presentant de nombreuses variations, - des modalites du drainage lymphatique de la tete du pancreas, eventuellement.

Renal amylase clearance in relation to creatinin clearance (Cam/Ccr) was determined for 20 patients suffering from acute pancreatitis (AP). For each of them, the diagnosis rested upon operative or laparoscopic observation of characteristic anatomical or histological lesions. The average clearance relationship in these patients reached 16 +/- SEM 3.8%. These results were significantly higher than those obtained from 132 patients who had been hospitalized for other medical or surgical diseases, as well as from 51 test patients (p less than 0.001). The authors stressed the diagnostic importance of this test, in particular in the presence of a normal amylasemia level.

Anomalies of hepatic morphology, as opposed to anatomical variations, are rare. Nevertheless, knowledge of such anomalies is important since they do not always remain clinically latent. Four case studies of different types of anomalies encountered in surgical practice in the adult are reported herein. A general review of hepatic anomalies can be divided into two categories, i.e. anomalies due to defective development and anomalies due to excessive development of the liver. Such disturbances are sometimes associated with malformations of other structures, especially the diaphragm and suspensory apparatus of the liver. Defective development of the left lobe of the liver can lead to gastric volvulus. Conservely, defective development of the right lobe either remains clinically latent or leads to portal hypertension. Anomalies related to excessive development of the liver lead to formation of accessory lobes annexed to the liver. Despite their diversity of shape, size and location, such accessory lobes have common features allowing them to be considered as an entity. In most cases the accessory lobe is found in the infra-hepatic position. Riedel's lobe is the best known example of a sessile accessory lobe. Accessory lobes may also stimulate tumor. In cases where the accessory lobe has a pedicle, torsion is a common event leading to discovery of the abnormal mass. The origin of the anomalies of hepatic morphology occurring in the course of organogenesis remains to be elucidated. The use of ultrasonography should now allow identification of such anomalies prior to the occurrence of an acute complication and in the future to possibly detect them in the fetus.

Les vasa aberrantia sont connus des anatomistes depuis tres longtemps. Ils representent, non pas une variation mais une anomalie des conduits biliaires. Leur origine embryologique est controversee. Ils resultent peut-etre de l'arret du developpement hepatobiliaire provoque par une reduction de la circulation veineuse afferente a la peripherie du foie. La description des vasa aberrantia serait sans grand interet si elle devait servir seulement a alimenter des discussions academiques. Mais les incidences chirurgicales liees a leur existence, montrent que les vasa aberrantiameritent d'etre connus des chirurgiens.

Aim To compare clinical presentation, operative management and short- and long-term outcomes of congenital bile duct cysts (BDC) in adults with children. Methods Retrospective multi-institutional Association Francaise de Chirurgie study of Todani types I+IVB and IVA BDC. Results During the 37-year period to 2011, 33 centers included 314 patients (98 children; 216 adults). The adult population included more high-risk patients, with more active, more frequent prior treatment (47.7% vs 11.2%; p < 0.0001), more complicated presentation (50.5% vs 35.7%; p = 0.015), more synchronous biliary cancer (11.6% vs 0%; p = 0.0118) and more major surgery (23.6% vs 2%; p < 0.0001), but this latter feature was only true for type I+IVB BDC. Compared to children, the postoperative morbidity (48.1% vs 20.4%; p < 0.0001), the need for repeat procedures and the status at follow-up were worse in adults (27% vs 8.8%; p = 0.0009). However, severe postoperative morbidity and fair or poor status at follow-up were not statistically different for type IVA BDC, irrespective of patients' age. Synchronous cancer, prior HBP surgery and Todani type IVA BDC were independent predictive factors of poor or fair long-term outcome. Conclusion BDC is a more indolent disease in children compared to adults, except for Todani type IV-A BDC.