Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction Research Articles

Morphological changes in the biliary mucosa in pediatric patients with congenital biliary dilatation are more influenced by the duration of amylase exposure than by amylase levels in the gallbladder.

We investigated the relationship between bile amylase (AMY) levels and biliary epithelial changes in pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM), a congenital anomaly characterized by pancreaticobiliary reflux due to duct fusion outside the duodenal wall. We enrolled 43 children with congenital biliary dilatation (CBD) of Todani types Ia, Ic, and IVa who underwent surgery at the Hokkaido Medical Center for Child Health and Rehabilitation between November 2007 and June 2023. We defined total AMY exposure in bile as bile AMY levels multiplied by the patient's age (months), representing amount of estimated AMY exposure until surgery. We retrospectively investigated the relationships between bile AMY levels and clinicopathological findings. All patients exhibited hyperplasia in the gallbladder and bile duct epithelium, with dysplasia observed in 13 cases, but no carcinoma. Exposure to bile AMY ≥ 662,400IU/L × months was an independent risk factor for dysplasia. The amount of estimated AMY exposure in bile rather than AMY levels in the bile is an independent risk factor for dysplasia in the biliary mucosa.

Utility of Contrast-Enhanced Harmonic Endoscopic Ultrasonography to Diagnose Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction.

Detection of a common channel outside the duodenal wall is important in diagnosing pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM). The present study evaluated the utility of contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasonography (CH-EUS) in diagnosing PBM. This single-center retrospective study enrolled 45 patients who were diagnosed with PBM or high confluence of pancreatobiliary ducts (HCPBD) between January 2007 and December 2021. The diagnostic sensitivities of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and CH-EUS for diagnosing PBM were analyzed. Imaging findings were evaluated by two reviewers blinded to the clinicopathological results. Based on diagnostic criteria, 33 patients were diagnosed with PBM and 12 with HCPBD. Compared with the patients with HCPBD, those with PBM had significantly longer common channel (12.5mm vs. 8.1mm, P = 0.018) and common bile duct (13.0mm vs. 8.6mm, P = 0.049) lengths. The κ-coefficients for differentiating PBM and HCPBD were 0.871 between CE-CT and MRI, 0.330 between CE-CT and CH-EUS, and 0.611 between MRI and CH-EUS. The diagnostic sensitivity of CH-EUS (95.2%) was higher than that of CE-CT (83.3%) and MRI (82.8%), although the differences were not statistically significant. CH-EUS may be useful for the diagnosis of PBM.

"Mathematical Investigation for the Mechanism of the Pancreatic Juice Reflux in High Confluence of Pancreaticobiliary Ducts and Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction"

"Mathematical Investigation for the Mechanism of the Pancreatic Juice Reflux in High Confluence of Pancreaticobiliary Ducts and Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction"

New gel immersion endoscopic ultrasonography technique for accurate periampullary evaluation.

Visualization of the pancreatobiliary junction is one of the challenges faced by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). The water-filling technique, which allows for the observation of the ampulla at a suitable distance by injecting water into the lumen of the duodenum, was used for this purpose. However, a new gel immersion technique has recently been introduced for visualizing the gastrointestinal tract. This study investigated the effectiveness of visualizing the pancreatobiliary junction in EUS by comparing both water filling and the new gel immersion technique in identical cases. The study ran from June to December 2021. Ten images from each technique were retrospectively compared by three independent researchers. The primary result of the study was the number of images depicting the "Pancreatic and Biliary Ducts Penetrating the Duodenal Muscularis Propria" (defined as Excellent observation) in each technique. The secondary outcome was defined as gel immersion technique's safety and impact on duodenal lumen distension. Ten patients used the gel immersion technique. All patients underwent the water-filling technique first, followed by gel injection after the water was completely aspirated. The average number of pictures rated as "Excellent observation," which is the primary outcome, was significantly higher with the gel immersion technique than with water filling, and no adverse events were observed. The subanalysis revealed that both convex and radial echoendoscopes are equally effective at depicting the ampulla with the gel immersion technique. The ability to depict the pancreatobiliary junction using the gel immersion technique is superior to that of the water-filling method, which may allow for a more detailed assessment of the ampullary region with both radial and convex echoendoscopes. This can be a useful EUS technique for diagnosing pancreaticobiliary maljunction or periampullary tumors.

Development of a CT-based radiomics-clinical model to diagnose acute pancreatitis on nonobvious findings on CT in children with pancreaticobiliary maljunction.

Since neither abdominal pain nor pancreatic enzyme elevation is specific for acute pancreatitis (AP), the diagnosis of AP in patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) may be challenging when the pancreas appears normal or nonobvious on CT. This study aimed to develop a quantitative radiomics-based nomogram of pancreatic CT for identifying AP in children with PBM who have nonobvious findings on CT. PBM patients with a diagnosis of AP evaluated at the Children's Hospital of Soochow University from June 2015 to October 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The radiological features and clinical factors associated with AP were evaluated. Based on the selected variables, multivariate logistic regression was used to construct clinical, radiomics, and combined models. Two clinical parameters and 6 radiomics characteristics were chosen based on their significant association with AP, as demonstrated in the training (area under curve [AUC]: 0.767, 0.892) and validation (AUC: 0.757, 0.836) datasets. The radiomics-clinical nomogram demonstrated superior performance in both the training (AUC, 0.938) and validation (AUC, 0.864) datasets, exhibiting satisfactory calibration (P > .05). Our radiomics-based nomogram is an accurate, noninvasive diagnostic technique that can identify AP in children with PBM even when CT presentation is not obvious. This study extracted imaging features of nonobvious pancreatitis. Then it developed and evaluated a combined model with these features.

A case report of carcinoma of the papilla of Vater associated with a hyperplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence by pancreaticobiliary maljunction.

Pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) is a known risk factor for biliary tract cancer. However, its association with carcinoma of the papilla of Vater (PVca) remains unknown. We report a case with PVca that was thought to be caused by the hyperplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence, which is considered a mechanism underlying PBM-induced biliary tract cancer. A 70-year-old woman presented with white stool and had a history of cholecystectomy for the diagnosis of a non-dilated biliary tract with PBM. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a tumor in the papilla of Vater, and PVca was histologically proven by biopsy. We finally diagnosed her with PVca concurrent with non-biliary dilated PBM (cT1aN0M0, cStage IA, according to the Union for International Cancer Control, 8th edition), and subsequently performed subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Pathological findings of the resected specimen revealed no adenomas and dysplastic and hyperplastic mucosae in the common channel slightly upstream of the main tumor, suggesting a PBM related carcinogenic pathway with hyperplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence. Immunostaining revealed positivity for CEA. CK7 positivity, CK20 negativity, and MUC2 negativity indicated that this PVca was of the pancreatobiliary type. Genetic mutations were exclusively detected in tumors and not in normal tissues, and bile ducts from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples included mutated-ERBB2 (Mutant allele frequency, 81.95%). Moreover, of the cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (cfDNA) extracted from liquid biopsy mutated-ERBB2 was considered the circulating-tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) of this tumor. Herein, we report the first case of PVca with PBM potentially caused by a "hyperplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence" detected using immunostaining and next-generation sequencing. Careful follow-up is required if pancreaticobiliary reflux persists, considering the possible development of PVca.

Treatment of pancreaticobiliary maljunction by minimally invasive endoscopic common channel sphinctertomy: Analysis of 35 cases

Treatment of pancreaticobiliary maljunction by minimally invasive endoscopic common channel sphinctertomy: Analysis of 35 cases

Histopathologic and genomic profile characteristics of biliary cancers related to pancreaticobiliary maljunction.

527 Background: Pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) is a congenital malformation in which the pancreatic duct and bile duct anatomically merge outside the duodenal wall, and is associated with a high rate of biliary cancer. It has been reported that TP53 and KRAS mutations are found not only in the cancerous area but also in the noncancerous area. However, there is no report of precise mapping of genetic mutations throughout the gallbladder and bile ducts. Methods: Ninety-seven patients (including 31 patients with biliary cancer) who underwent cholecystectomy and cholangiectomy for PBM between 1990 and 2023 at our hospital and affiliated hospitals were included in the study, and consent forms were obtained from 36 patients. The panel targeting 60 genes frequently identified in biliary tract cancer was created in-house and deep sequenced to compare with clinicopathological features. To date, we have analyzed 4 patients with biliary tract cancer and 5 patients without it (with prophylactic resection). The same analysis was also performed on cancerous and noncancerous parts of patients of gallbladder cancer and cholangiocarcinoma without confluence abnormalities for comparison. Results: A total of 33 Samples (7 cancerous parts and 26 noncancerous parts) were examined for biliary tract cancer. We found a variety of functional gene abnormalities, including driver mutations such as TP53, ARID2, and BRCA2, in 9 non-cancerous areas including hyperplasia and normal bile duct mucosa. Some of these mutations were not shared with cancerous areas. On the other hand, in 46 samples from 5 patients who did not develop gallbladder cancer (prophylactic resection), Driver mutations were found in only 3 sites. Pathological findings of dysplasia/hyperplasia in these prophylactic resections were observed in 28 of the 46 sections. In addition, Driver mutations were rarely observed in noncancerous areas in patients with normal gallbladder or cholangiocarcinoma. Conclusions: Unlike conventional biliary tract cancers, the patients with PBM showed a great variety of genetic abnormalities in both cancerous and noncancerous areas. On the other hand, in patients of prophylactic resection without cancer, driver mutations were almost completely absent despite the presence of mucosal changes. We believe that these findings can develop better strategy for biliary cancers with PBM.

Gallbladder carcinosarcoma associated with pancreaticobiliary maljunction with biliary dilation:a case report

A 68-year-old female patient was referred to our hospital with acute cholangitis. Computed tomography revealed common bile duct dilatation, gallbladder fundal tumor, and gallbladder wall thickening attached to the tumor. Cholangiography revealed pancreaticobiliary maljunction with biliary dilation. The patient was diagnosed with pancreaticobiliary maljunction with biliary dilation and gallbladder cancer and underwent liver S4b+5 and bile duct resection and reconstruction. Pathological results revealed that the gallbladder fundal tumor included sarcoma, and the gallbladder wall thickening had adenocarcinoma;thus, the patient was diagnosed with gallbladder carcinosarcoma.

Simple prophylactic cholecystectomy without excision of the common bile duct (CBD) for pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) without bile duct dilatation: is it justified？

Simple prophylactic cholecystectomy without excision of the common bile duct (CBD) for pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) without bile duct dilatation: is it justified？

Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Children of Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction Without Obvious Biliary Dilatation

PurposeThere is no standard surgical approach for pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) without congenital biliary dilatation (CBD). This study aimed to compare outcomes between therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and laparoscopic hepaticojejunostomy (LH) for pediatric patients of PBM without obvious biliary dilatation (PBM-nonOBD). MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed demographic and clinical data of pediatric patients with PBM-nonOBD from 2015 to 2021. There were 33 patients in ERCP group and 35 patients in LH group. Primary outcomes included treatment efficiency, postoperative recovery, and postoperative complications. Univariate analysis was further used to explore prognostic factors for ERCP. ResultsThe mean diameter of the common bile duct in LH group was larger than that in ERCP group (8.6 ± 1.3 mm vs. 6.9 ± 2.1 mm, p = 0.003), while there were no significant differences between the two groups in age, gender, clinical manifestations, complications, and other imaging findings. Compared with LH group, ERCP group had a shorter operation time and postoperative recovery time. The treatment effective rate of ERCP was inferior to that of LH (45.4 % vs. 85.7 %, p＜0.001). For postoperative adverse events, post-ERCP pancreatitis (15.1 %) was most common in the ERCP group. 30.3 % of patients eventually required LH. Intestinal obstruction (5.7 %), recurrent cholangitis (5.7 %), gastrointestinal bleeding (2.8 %), and anastomotic stenosis (2.8 %) were observed in LH group and 8.6 % of patients required a reoperation. A long common channel may be associated with poor prognosis after ERCP. ConclusionsERCP is associated with less surgical trauma, shorter recovery time, and fewer serious complications than LH, while the treatment effective rate of ERCP is inferior to LH. The indications for endoscopic sphincterotomy and the timing of radical surgery need to be further explored. Level of evidenceⅢ Study typeRetrospective Comparative Study.

Mucosal damage in pancreaticobiliary maljunction is stronger in the gallbladder than in the bile duct

BackgroundThe frequency of gallbladder carcinoma is high in pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM), and the mechanism of carcinogenesis is not well understood. MethodsThe expression of γH2AX, the most sensitive marker for detecting DNA damage, was analyzed using immunohistochemistry in patients with PBM, in which the gallbladder and bile duct were simultaneously resected. Gallbladder and bile ducts were evaluated in non-neoplastic regions in 13 cases of PBM without cancer in the gallbladder and bile ducts. ResultsThe median frequencies of γH2AX expression in the bile duct and gallbladder within the same case were 5.9% (range 1.7–12.05%) and 9.9% (range 2.8–25%), respectively, and were significantly higher in the gallbladder mucosa (P < 0.0004). γH2AX expression strongly correlated in the bile duct and gallbladder (r = 0.9436, P < 0.0001). PBM caused marked mucosal damage to the gallbladder. ConclusionsMucosal damage may be involved in carcinogenesis, which may be useful for predicting malignant transformation.

LncRNA-mRNA coexpression analysis reveals distinct pathogenic mechanisms for subtypes of congenital biliary dilatation.

Congenital biliary dilatation (CBD) is a bile duct malformation often associated with pancreaticobiliary maljunction. Different subtypes of CBD have been noted for clinical differences, but their pathogenic mechanisms are unclear. To elucidate the genetic basis of CBD, we performed lncRNA and mRNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis on 18 cystic and 18 fusiform CBD samples. We identified differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs between the two types of CBD, and constructed coexpression modules that correlated with clinical characteristics of CBD using weighted gene coexpression network analysis. We found that the brown module was the highest positive correlation with fusiform CBD (R = 0.67, p = 7.9e-6) and contained the most genes. We then built a lncRNA-mRNA coexpression network to identify potential target genes of lncRNAs in CBD, and a protein-protein interaction network to investigate the hub genes from the target genes and the brown module. Finally, we performed enrichment analyses and found differences between cystic and fusiform CBD in hepatobiliary system development, liver and pancreas development involving hub genes ONECUT1 and HNF1B that could be regulated by corresponding lncRNAs. Our study suggests that lncRNAs may modulate pancreaticobiliary duct development differently in cystic and fusiform CBD, providing new insights for etiology studies and clinical treatment.

Variations of the hepatic artery and bile duct in patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction: Impact on postoperative outcomes.

Preoperative comprehension of the anatomical variations of the hepatic artery and bile duct is essential for safe laparoscopic surgery for pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM). This study aimed to investigate the impact of anatomical variations of the hepatic artery and bile duct on surgical technique and postoperative complications. We conducted a retrospective review of patients with PBM who underwent laparoscopic surgery at our institution between January 2014 and December 2022 to investigate anatomical variations in the hepatic artery and bile duct, surgical technique, and postoperative complications. We included 112 patients with PBM, with a median age of 4 years (interquartile range, 0-55). Overall, 29 of 112 patients had an aberrant right hepatic artery (ARHA) running ventral to the common hepatic duct (CHD), and they underwent hepaticojejunostomy on the ventral side of the ARHA. Additionally, eight of 112 patients had an aberrant posterior hepatic duct (APHD), which was joined to the CHD in all but one case. The presence of APHD was associated with postoperative bile leak occurrence. Performing hepaticojejunostomy ventral to the ARHA is important to prevent complications. Furthermore, APHD may be a risk factor for postoperative bile leak and requires careful bile duct plasty.

Does Congenital Biliary Dilatation Todani Type II (Diverticular Type) Really Exist?

Aim of the studyThe aim of the study is to clarify the clinicopathological and biliary morphological characteristics in reported cases of diverticular congenital biliary dilatation (CBD). MethodUsing PubMed and the Japan Medical Abstracts Society, articles on possible diverticular CBD were extracted and the clinical pictures examined. We also sought evidence for definitions of diverticular CBD and the associated condition of pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) using the original articles by Alonso-Lej and Todani. The characteristic biliary morphologies of cases with images were also investigated. ResultsAnalyses of 211 possible cases superficially demonstrated multiple diverticula in 12 (12%) and single diverticulum in 89 (88%), with diverticula located in the upper (n = 38, 38%), middle (n = 32, 32%), or lower (n = 26, 26%) biliary tract in and presence of intra-diverticular stones, PBM, and biliary carcinoma in 23% (n = 18), 39% (n = 25), and 11% (n = 14), respectively. However, evidence defining diverticular CBD or justifying the lack of associated PBM was not demonstrated even in the original articles. Scrutiny of the biliary anatomy in 59 cases with images showed incorrect inclusions of types I or IV-A with an irregular biliary duct wall or dilated cystic duct, periampullary choledochal diverticula, or even solitary biliary cysts. Authentic diverticular CBD, representing the diverticulum connected to the middle of the common bile duct via a thin, patent stalk was seen in only 6 cases. ConclusionReal diverticular CBD appears extremely rare. The lack of an objective definition allows wide interpretations of clinical pictures, creating inconsistencies in the diagnosis and treatment of CBD and raising questions regarding the utility of conventional classifications. Level of evidenceLevel III.

A light in the dark: Peroral cholangioscopy provides a new strategy for difficult cannulation in pancreaticobiliary maljunction.

A light in the dark: Peroral cholangioscopy provides a new strategy for difficult cannulation in pancreaticobiliary maljunction.

Clinical presentations and outcomes of pancreaticobiliary maljunction in different pediatric age groups

BackgroundPancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) is a congenital defect, with risk of developing various pancreaticobiliary and hepatic complications. The presentations of PBM in children and adults are believed to be different, but studies on PBM children of different age groups are limited. This study was to evaluate clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes in PBM children of different ages.MethodsA total of 166 pediatric patients with PBM were reviewed retrospectively. Clinicopathological, imaging, laboratory, surgical, and follow-up data were collected and analyzed. The patients were divided into three age groups, namely, group A (< 1 year, n = 31), group B (1–3 years, n = 63), and group C (> 3 years, n = 72).ResultsThe major clinical manifestation was jaundice in group A and abdominal pain and vomiting in groups B and C. Acute pancreatitis was more often seen in group C than group A. The length of common channel was significantly longer in group C than group A, while the maximum diameter of common bile duct in group C was smaller than that in group A. Cholangitis and cholecystitis were more commonly performed in groups B and C, while hepatic fibrosis in group A. Whether preoperatively or postoperatively, group C was more likely to have elevated serum amylase, while groups A and B were more likely to present with abnormal liver function indicators, including the increase of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.ConclusionPresentation of PBM varies among different pediatric age groups, thus suggesting that targeted management should be carried out according to these differences.

A light in the dark: Peroral cholangioscopy provides a new strategy for difficult cannulation in pancreaticobiliary maljunction.

A light in the dark: Peroral cholangioscopy provides a new strategy for difficult cannulation in pancreaticobiliary maljunction.

Using machine learning models to predict the surgical risk of children with pancreaticobiliary maljunction and biliary dilatation.

To develop machine learning (ML) models to predict the surgical risk of children with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) and biliary dilatation. The subjects of this study were 157 pediatric patients who underwent surgery for PBM with biliary dilatation between January, 2015 and August, 2022. Using preoperative data, four ML models were developed, including logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), support vector machine classifier (SVC), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). The performance of each model was assessed via the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC). Model interpretations were generated by Shapley Additive Explanations. A nomogram was used to validate the best-performing model. Sixty-eight patients (43.3%) were classified as the high-risk surgery group. The XGBoost model (AUC = 0.822) outperformed the LR (AUC = 0.798), RF (AUC = 0.802) and SVC (AUC = 0.804) models. In all four models, enhancement of the choledochal cystic wall and an abnormal position of the right hepatic artery were the two most important features. Moreover, the diameter of the choledochal cyst, bile duct variation, and serum amylase were selected as key predictive factors by all four models. Using preoperative data, the ML models, especially XGBoost, have the potential to predict the surgical risk of children with PBM and biliary dilatation. The nomogram may provide surgeons early warning to avoid intraoperative iatrogenic injury.

Prediction of post-operative acute pancreatitis in children with pancreaticobiliary maljunction using machine learning model

This study aimed to develop a prediction model to identify risk factors for post-operative acute pancreatitis (POAP) in children with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) by pre-operative analysis of patient variables. Logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) models were established using the prospectively collected databases of patients with PBM undergoing surgery which was reviewed in the period comprised between August 2015 and August 2022, at the Children's Hospital of Soochow University. Primarily, the area beneath the receiver-operating curves (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were used to evaluate the model performance. The model was finally validated using the nomogram and clinical impact curve. In total, 111 children with PBM met the inclusion criteria, and 21 children suffered POAP. In the validation dataset, LR models showed the highest performance. The risk nomogram and clinical effect curve demonstrated that the LR model was highly predictive. The prediction model based on the LR with a nomogram could be used to predict the risk of POAP in patients with PBM. Protein plugs, age, white blood cell count, and common bile duct diameter were the most relevant contributing factors to the models.