Pancreatic Gland Texture Research Articles

Early Drain Removal--The Middle Ground Between the Drain Versus No Drain Debate in Patients Undergoing Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Prospective Validation Study.

To perform an unbiased assessment of first postoperative day (POD 1) drain amylase level and pancreatic fistula (PF) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Recent evidence demonstrated that drain abandonment in PD is unsafe. Early drain amylase levels have been proposed as predictors of PF after PD, allowing for selection of patients for early drain removal. Daily drain amylase levels were correlated with the development of PF in 2 independent cohorts of patients undergoing PD: training cohort (n = 126; year 2008) and validation cohort (n = 369; years 2009-2012). POD 1 drain amylase level had the highest predictive ability (concordance index: 0.911) for PF in the training cohort. An amylase level of 612 U/L or higher showed the best accuracy (86%), sensitivity (93%), and specificity (79%). Thus, a cutoff value of 600 U/L was utilized. In the validation cohort, 229 (62.1%) patients had a POD 1 drain amylase level of lower than 600 U/L, and PF developed in only 2 (0.9%) cases; whereas in patients with POD 1 drain amylase level of 600 U/L or higher (n = 140) the PF rate was 31.4% (odds ratio [OR] = 52, P < 0.0001). On multivariate analysis, POD 1 drain amylase level of lower than 600 U/L (OR = 0.0192, P < 0.0001) was a stronger predictor of the absence of PF than pancreatic gland texture (OR = 0.193, P = 0.002) and duct diameter (OR = 0.861, P = 0.835). After PD, the risk of PF is less than 1% if POD 1 drain amylase level is lower than 600 U/L. We propose that in this group, which comprise more than 60% of patients, drains should be removed on POD 1.

The Glasgow whipple risk score to predict pancreas-specific complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

394 Background: Pancreas-specific complications (PSC), comprising postoperative pancreatic fistula, post-pancreatectomy haemorrhage, and intra-abdominal collections, are drivers of morbidity following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Intra-operatively derived pancreatic gland texture is a major determinant of postoperative PSC. We have previously demonstrated that a postoperative day 0 (PoD0) serum amylase ≥ 130 IU/L is an objective surrogate of pancreatic texture, and is associated with PSC. We sought to refine the PSC risk prediction model by including serial measurements of serum C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods: 230 consecutive patients undergoing PD between 2008 and 2014 were included in the study. Routine serum investigations, including amylase and CRP were performed from the pre-operative day. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify a threshold value of serum CRP associated with clinically significant PSC. Results: 95 (41.3%) patients experienced a clinically significant PSC. ROC analysis identified post-operative day 2 (PoD2) serum CRP of 180 mg/L as the optimal threshold (P=0.005) associated with clinically significant PSC, a prolonged stay in critical care (P =0.032), and a relaparotomy (P = 0.045). Patients with a PoD0 serum amylase ≥ 130 IU/L who then developed a PoD2 serum CRP ≥ 180 mg/L had a higher incidence of postoperative complications. Patients were categorised into high, intermediate and low risk groups based on PoD0 serum amylase and PoD2 serum CRP. Patients in the high risk group (PoD0 serum amylase ≥ 130 IU/L and PoD2 serum CRP ≥ 180 mg/l) had significantly higher incidence of PSC, a return to theatre, prolonged lengths stay (all P≤ 0.05) and a four-fold increase in perioperative mortality compared patients in the intermediate and low risk groups (7 deaths in the high risk group versus 2 and nil in the intermediate and low risk groups respectively). Conclusions: A high risk profile, defined as PoD0 serum amylase ≥ 130 IU/L and PoD2 serum CRP ≥ 180 mg/l, should raise the clinician’s awareness of the increased risk of clinically significant PSC and a complicated postoperative course following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Prediction of Pancreatic Anastomotic Failure After Pancreatoduodenectomy

To determine whether remnant pancreatic volume (RPV), subcutaneous/visceral adipose tissue(SAT/VAT) area, and skeletal muscle (SM) area calculated from preoperative computed tomography (CT) can predict the occurrence of pancreatic anastomotic failure (PAF) after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). Increased body mass index, small main pancreatic duct, and soft pancreatic texture are well-established predictors of PAF after PD. The impact on PAF of anthropomorphic measurements, such as RPV and body composition, is unknown. In 173 patients undergoing PD from 2004 to 2009, cross sections of SAT/VAT/SM area were quantitated volumetrically, respectively, from preoperative CT. RPV was calculated from the CT as the sum of pancreatic tissue area to the left of the presumed pancreatic transection site. The predictive ability for multiple models using combinations of body mass index, RPV, SAT/VAT area, SM area, main pancreatic duct size, and pancreatic gland texture was described using a concordance index (c-index). Clinically relevant PAF occurred in 22 patients (13%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified RPV (P = 0.0012), VAT area (P = 0.0003), and SM area (P = 0.0006) as independent predictors of PAF. Using previously identified risk factors, the best 2-predictor model (body mass index and pancreatic duct size) resulted in a c-index of 0.748. Using anthropomorphic factors, however, the 2-predictor model using VAT and SM areas revealed a superior c-index of 0.959. Our 2-predictor model using VAT area and SM area based on volumetric quantification using preoperative CT may offer clinical benefit as an objective prognostic measure to predict clinically relevant PAF after PD.