Severe Cholangitis Research Articles

Neglected Biliary Stent with Hepatico-lithiasis Causing Left Lobe Pyogenic Liver Abscess with Rupture into Left Pleural Cavity: A rare Life-threatening Emergency

Abstract Biliary tract disease is currently the leading cause of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) and complications of rupture are associated with high mortality and morbidity even with current medical knowledge advancement. We report a 35-year-old female who presented in emergency setting with complaints of jaundice, abdominal pain, fever, and respiratory distress. Patient had prior history of endoscopic management of biliary stones about 6 years back followed by asymptomatic period. Patient was managed by percutaneous drainage of left lobe liver abscess and left pleural empyema after initial resuscitation with further investigations revealing biliary stent with left hepatic abscess with transdiaphragmatic extension into left hemithorax. Neglected biliary stent has been reported to cause severe cholangitis with PLAs and these patients require immediate timely attention to the management of abscess and its complications.

Roux-en-Y biliary reconstruction as a definitive treatment for serious complications of portal biliopathy. Case series.

Portal biliopathy (PB) is an abnormality of the biliary tree wall due to extrahepatic portal hypertension. Among the complications of portal biliopathy are digestive bleeding, jaundice, and cholangitis. Surgical treatment is an exception when medical management is not possible. This is a case series study of four patients with severe PB complications requiring surgical management in our center from 2005 to 2016. Two of them had previous surgical procedures related to portal hypertension. All presented with severe biliary stenosis and recurrent cholangitis, and two also had massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Because of endoscopic management failure, a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy was performed in all cases. Two patients presented morbidity Clavien-Dindo>IIIA, requiring reoperation. During follow-up, no one developed other complications related to PB. Surgical treatment for PB complications is a challenge and mainly implies a portosystemic shunt as a first step. When it fails, an alternative is perform a biliodigestive anastomoses, with high risk of bleeding given the prominent collaterals present in the hepatoduodenal pedicle secondary to portal cavernomatosis. Our patients after YRGB didn't present new complications due to PB. The surgery could be a definite solution for PB complications. It has only been made for selective cases because it implies high complexity and risk.

Open surgical cholecystostomy under local anaesthesia as salvage therapy of acute cholecystitis during the 4th COVID-19 wave in Northern Italy: experience from a rural hospital.

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak delayed interventions of elective surgery worldwide. In Italy, the first western country to be affected, 410000 operations formerly planned were cancelled with the beginning of the first wave. Symptomatic cholelithiasis represents one of the most common, benign medical conditions in the world leading the affected patients to general surgeons'attention; in 0.5% of cases gallstones (symptomatic or not) can complicate with acute lithiasic cholecystitis (ALC) whose universally acknowledged treatment of choice is laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Delaying in surgery of ALC can increase the rate of complications like severe ALC, acute cholangitis and sepsis. The 4th wave of COVID 19 in Northern Italy induced further stress on the healthcare system. In fact, the occurrence of difficult communication and delays in ALC patients transfer between first and second level hospitals lead to the re-emergence of obsolete surgical procedures. In our rural hospital, in fact, a 92 years old patient affected with ALC and several comorbidities was treated with a successful emergency surgical procedure of transperitoneal cholecistostomy in lieu of a radiological transperitoneal approach. Such a choice was dictated by the absence of an interventional radiology unit in our hospital as well as the unavailability of patient transfer to our central referral hub (the hospital of Parma) due to hospital overcrowding secondary to the 4th wave of COVID 19 pandemic.

Early Management of Severe Biliary Infection in the Era of the Tokyo Guidelines.

Sepsis of biliary origin is increasing worldwide and has become one of the leading causes of emergency department admissions. The presence of multi-resistant bacteria (MRB) is increasing, and mortality rates may reach 20%. This review focuses on the changes induced by the Tokyo guidelines and new concepts related to the early treatment of severe biliary disease. If cholecystitis or cholangitis is suspected, ultrasound is the imaging test of choice. Appropriate empirical antibiotic treatment should be initiated promptly, and selection should be performed while bearing in mind the severity and risk factors for MRB. In acute cholecystitis, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the main therapeutic intervention. In patients not suitable for surgery, percutaneous cholecystostomy is a valid alternative for controlling the infection. Treatment of severe acute cholangitis is based on endoscopic or transhepatic bile duct drainage and antibiotic therapy. Endoscopic ultrasound and other new endoscopic techniques have been added to the arsenal as novel alternatives in high-risk patients. However, biliary infections remain serious conditions that can lead to sepsis and death. The introduction of internationally accepted guidelines, based on clinical presentation, laboratory tests, and imaging, provides a framework for their rapid diagnosis and treatment. Prompt assessment of patient severity, timely initiation of antimicrobials, and early control of the source of infection are essential to reduce morbidity and mortality rates.

A Nomogram-Based Model for Predicting the Risk of Severe Acute Cholangitis Occurrence.

Acute cholangitis is a severe inflammatory disease associated with an infection of the biliary system, which can lead to complications and adverse outcomes. The existing nomogram-based risk assessment methods largely rely on a limited set of clinical features and laboratory indicators, and are mostly constructed using univariable models, which have limitations in predicting the severity. This study aims to develop a nomogram-based model that integrates multiple variables to improve risk prediction for acute cholangitis. Data were retrospectively collected from 152 patients with acute cholangitis who attended the People's Hospital of Jiangsu University between January 2019 and March 2022, and were graded as having mild to moderate versus severe cholangitis according to the 2018 Tokyo guidelines. Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to discern independent risk factors associated with severe acute cholangitis, which were subsequently integrated into a nomogram model. The efficacy of the model was appraised by leveraging Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA). Aspartate to alanine transaminase ratio (Transaminase ratio or TR), Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and D-dimer (DD) levels were independent risk factors for severe acute cholangitis. A nomogram model was constructed based on these 4 risk factors. ROC and calibration curves were well differentiated and calibrated. DCA had a high net gain in the range of 7% to 83%. The above model was tested internally. According to the nomogram model when patients using characteristic curve critical values were divided into a low-risk group and a high-risk group, the incidence in the high-risk group was significantly higher than in the low-risk group. This nomogram model may provide clinicians with an effective tool to predict the potential risk of severe acute cholangitis in patients and guide informed intervention measures and treatment decisions.

Role of Serum Procalcitonin in Prediction of Severity in Patients with Acute Cholangitis

Abstract Background Cholangitis is one of the commonest emergencies encountered by gastroenterologists that may warrant drainage of biliary system. Serum procalcitonin (PCT) is an important biomarker of cholangitis with a potential to guide early therapeutic decision. Materials and Methods We did a retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained data of patients admitted in the hospital from March 2018 to September 2020 with a diagnosis of acute cholangitis based on Tokyo 18 guidelines (TG-18). All the demographic parameters, biochemical and hematological parameters, and the result were recorded. Results One-hundred two patients were admitted to our hospital with a mean age of 51.07 ± 7.99 years, among which 58.5% (59/102) were females with most common etiology being choledocholithiasis (64%). Fever, jaundice, and abdominal pain were seen in 78% (80/102), 73.3% (74/102), and 76.9% (78/102) of patients, respectively. Organ failure was seen in 29.3% (29/102) of patients with most common organ failure being acute kidney injury. Mild, moderate, and severe cholangitis as per TG-13 was seen in 43.9, 26.8, and 29.3% of patients, respectively. Elevated PCT levels were associated with severe disease (76.7 vs. 26.5%, p < 0.05). Forty-three percent (44/102) patients were managed with delayed biliary drainage, while the majority of remaining specifically with raised PCT levels needed early endoscopic intervention. Conclusion In this retrospective analysis, we showed that most common etiology of cholangitis in was choledocholithiasis. Raised serum PCT levels were significantly associated with increased severity of cholangitis.

Outcomes and predictors of delayed endoscopic biliary drainage for severe acute cholangitis due to choledocholithiasis in an intensive care unit.

Acute cholangitis (AC) is an infection of the biliary tract secondary to biliary obstruction requiring biliary drainage through endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. This study aims to compare the outcome between the early and delayed ERCP in patients with severe AC. Patient with severe AC due to choledocholithiasis admitted to intensive care unit were included. Early ERCP was defined was as ERCP performed within 24h following hospital admission. Propensity-score matching was used to reduce the imbalance between groups. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included length of hospital and ICU stay, onset or persistent organ failure. The delayed ERCP group had a higher mortality rate at 30 days (45,5 versus 13%, <0.001) and at 1 year (59,7% versus 15,6%, p <0.001). Delayed ERCP had also a higher rate of respiratory adverse events (54,5 versus 27,8%, p=0,002), longer ICU (7.41 versus 4.61, p=0,004) and hospital (11,88 versus 9,22, p=0,042) length of stay. Predictors of delayed ERCP were cardiac arrythmias, liver disease, creatinine value and white blood cell count at baseline. Delays in ERCP for patients with severe AC appear to be associated with higher mortality rate and prolonged ICU and hospital stays.

Predictive value of presepsin and acylcarnitines for severity and biliary drainage in acute cholangitis.

Bacteremia, which is a major cause of mortality in patients with acute cholangitis, induces hyperactive immune response and mitochondrial dysfunction. Presepsin is responsible for pathogen recognition by innate immunity. Acylcarnitines are established mitochondrial biomarkers. To clarify the early predictive value of presepsin and acylcarnitines as biomarkers of severity of acute cholangitis and the need for biliary drainage. Of 280 patients with acute cholangitis were included and the severity was stratified according to the Tokyo Guidelines 2018. Blood presepsin and plasma acylcarnitines were tested at enrollment by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, respectively. The concentrations of presepsin, procalcitonin, short- and medium-chain acylcarnitines increased, while long-chain acylcarnitines decreased with the severity of acute cholangitis. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of presepsin for diagnosing moderate/severe and severe cholangitis (0.823 and 0.801, respectively) were greater than those of conventional markers. The combination of presepsin, direct bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, temperature, and butyryl-L-carnitine showed good predictive ability for biliary drainage (AUC: 0.723). Presepsin, procalcitonin, acetyl-L-carnitine, hydroxydodecenoyl-L-carnitine, and temperature were independent predictors of bloodstream infection. After adjusting for severity classification, acetyl-L-carnitine was the only acylcarnitine independently associated with 28-d mortality (hazard ratio 14.396; P < 0.001) (AUC: 0.880). Presepsin concentration showed positive correlation with direct bilirubin or acetyl-L-carnitine. Presepsin could serve as a specific biomarker to predict the severity of acute cholangitis and need for biliary drainage. Acetyl-L-carnitine is a potential prognostic factor for patients with acute cholangitis. Innate immune response was associated with mitochondrial metabolic dysfunction in acute cholangitis.

Factors associated with clinical outcome in geriatric acute cholangitis patients.

We aimed to determine the risk factors associated with the clinical outcome in cases of acute cholangitis among the geriatric age group. Patients aged >65 years hospitalized with the diagnosis of acute cholangitis in an emergency internal medicine clinic were included in this study. The study population comprised 300 patients. In the oldest-old group, the rates of severe acute cholangitis and intensive care unit hospitalization (39.1% vs. 23.2%, p<0.001) were higher. The mortality rate was also higher in the oldest-old group (10.4% vs. 5.9%, p=0.045). The presence of malignancy, ICU hospitalization, decreased platelet levels, decreased hemoglobin levels, and decreased albumin levels were associated with mortality. In the multivariable regression model in which variables associated with Tokyo severity were included, the associated factors for membership in the severe risk group compared to the moderate risk group were decreased platelet count (OR: 0.96; p=0.040) and decreased albumin level (OR: 0.93; p=0.027). Increasing age (OR: 1.07; p=0.001), malignancy etiology (OR: 5.03; p<0.001), increasing Tokyo severity (OR: 7.61; p<0.001), and decreasing lymphocyte count (OR: 0.49; p=0.032) were determined to be associated with ICU admission. Decreasing albumin levels (OR: 0.86; p=0.021) and ICU admission (OR: 16.43; p=0.008) were determined to be factors associated with mortality. Worse clinical outcomes occur among geriatric patients with increasing age.

Spontaneous biloma manifesting with massive upper gastrointestinal bleed: case report

Spontaneous biloma is a rare non-traumatic lesion in whi­ch the extrahepatic or intrahepatic bile duct perforates spontaneously with no discernable cause. We present a case of spontaneous biloma in a 68 years old male patient with cholelithiasis and concurrent choledocholithiasis, who presented with acute severe cholangitis. There was no history of abdominal surgery, instrumentation, or trauma in the past. Initial ultrasonography (USG) abdomen showed central intrahepatic dilation, cholelithiasis, and choledocholithiasis. A sizeable hypoechoic lesion with few internal septations was present adjacent to the left lobe of the liver, with USG suspicion of a hydatid cyst. The lesion was abutting and displacing the stomach anteromedially. The patient had an acute renal failure with hemodynamic instability at presentation. The patient was managed with emergency endoscopic drainage under ultrasound guidance and improved after that. On the fourth day, after endoscopic drainage, the patient had a massive upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleed due to erosion and pressure necrosis of the gastric wall due to biloma. The patient was managed successfully with sleeve gastrectomy and de-roofing of the cyst.

Early Biliary Decompression Reduces Morbidity but Not Mortality in Acute Ascending Cholangitis.

Background Acute ascending cholangitis is a life-threatening infection due to biliary obstruction. Decompression via endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) or interventional radiologic (IR) drainage controls the source of the sepsis. Numerous studies have been published with conflicting data on whether earlier drainage affects morbidity and mortality. We sought to publish our experience at two Las Vegas community hospitals. Methods After IRB approval, over 4000 inpatient non-elective ERCs were analyzed between 2010 and 2019. Six-hundred and twenty-five patients met the 2018 Tokyo criteria for a "definitive diagnosis" of acute ascending cholangitis. A univariate and multivariate analysis was conducted to identify factors significantly associated with length of stay and mortality. Results On univariate analysis, patients who had drainage conducted within 24 hours had significantly shorter lengths of stay (p = 0.0012 95% CI [-88.1 to -21.8 hrs]), higher mean diastolic blood pressure (p=0.0029 95% CI [1.03 to 5.01 mm Hg]), and lower mean maximum temperature (p=0.0001 95% CI [-0.842 to -0.382oC]) when compared to patients who underwent decompression more than 24 hours after admission. There were no statistically significant differences in mortality between patients who underwent decompression within 24 hours of admission versus patients who underwent decompression beyond 24 hours of admission. On multivariate analysis, earlier decompression reduced the length of stay for patients with mild (p<0.0001), moderate (p<0.0001), and severe cholangitis (p=0.0023). Mortality was significantly associated with the worsening severity of the cholangitis (moderate [p=0.0001] and severe [p<0.0001], but not mild disease) and the use of vasopressors. Conclusions Timely biliary decompression within 24 hours of admission significantly reduces the length of stay, pyrexia, and hemodynamic abnormalities. In addition, our data corroborate the 2018 Tokyo guidelines that correlate the severity of cholangitis with mortality.

Bile duct penetrating duodenal wall sign: a novel computed tomography finding of common bile duct stone impaction into duodenal major papilla.

Impacted common bile duct stones cause severe acute cholangitis. However, the early and accurate diagnosis, especially iso-attenuating stone impaction, is still challenging. Therefore, we proposed and validated the bile duct penetrating duodenal wall sign (BPDS), which shows the common bile duct penetrating the duodenal wall on coronal reformatted computed tomography (CT), as a novel sign of stone impaction. Patients who underwent urgent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for acute cholangitis due to common bile duct stones were retrospectively enrolled. Stone impaction was defined by endoscopic findings as a reference standard. Two abdominal radiologists blinded to clinical information interpreted CT images to record the presence of the BPDS. The diagnostic accuracy of the BPDS to diagnose stone impaction was analyzed. Clinical data related to the severity of acute cholangitis were compared between patients with and without the BPDS. A total of 40 patients (mean age 70.6years; 18 female) were enrolled. The BPDS was observed in 15 patients. Stone impaction occurred in 13/40 (32.5%) cases. Overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 34/40 (85.0%), 11/13 (84.6%), and 23/27 (85.2%), respectively; 14/16 (87.5%), 5/6 (83.3%), and 9/10 (90.0%) for iso-attenuating stones; and 20/24 (83.3%), 6/7 (85.7%), and 14/17 (82.4%) for high-attenuating stones. Interobserver agreement of the BPDS was substantial (κ = 0.68). In addition, the BPDS was significantly correlated with the number of factors in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (P = 0.03) and total bilirubin (P = 0.04). The BPDS was a unique CT imaging finding to identify common bile duct stone impaction regardless of stone attenuation with high accuracy.

Timing of biliary decompression for acute cholangitis

Severe acute cholangitis (AC) exacerbates the risk of death because of the rapid progression of the disease. The optimal timing of biliary decompression (BD) as a necessary intervention in patients with severe AC is controversial. A recently report titled "Timing of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the treatment of acute cholangitis of different severity" in the World Journal of Gastroenterology that the optimal time of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for treating patients with severe AC is ≤ 48 but not ≤ 24 h, providing clinical evidence for selecting the optimal time for implementation of BD. Here, we discuss the controversy over the optimal timing of BD for AC based on guidelines and clinical evidence, and consider that more high-level clinical researches are urgent needed to benefit the management of patients with different severity of AC.

Evaluation of prognosis of acute colangitis patients via hematological parameters

Early differentiation of cases with severe acute cholangitis is important for optimal treatment. In this study, it was aimed to elucidate the prognosis with complete blood count parameters among patients with acute cholangitis. Clinical and laboratory findings of 200 patients with acute cholangitis at Ankara City Hospital between February 2019 and October 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, red cell distribution width and mean platelet volume levels were recorded from blood analysis at the time of admission. According to Tokyo guidelines, patients were divided into 3 groups as mild, moderate and severe acute cholangitis. In order to evaluate the prognosis, the length of hospital stay, the status of hospitalization in the medical intensive care unit and blood culture growth were investigated with hematological parameters. Of the 200 patients, 109 (54.5%) were male and 91 (45.5%) were female. According to Tokyo criteria, 17 patients’ status was evaluated as severe, 70 as moderate and 113 as mild acute cholangitis. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio measurements was statistically significant in distinguishing the mild vs moderate disease (AUC=0.694; 95% Confidence Interval (CI):0.586-0.802 and p=0.008), with a diagnostic accuracy rate of 59.5%. The diagnostic accuracy rate of red cell distribution width (AUC=0.603; 95% CI: 0.523-0.683 and p=0.013) was 61.5% and the diagnostic accuracy rate of mean platelet volume (AUC=0.582 95% CI: 0.502-0.662 and p=0.047) was 57.5% achieving a statistical significance. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, red cell distribution width and mean platelet volume analysis is routinely obtained from complete blood count almost in every patient. These are inexpensive and easily accessible diagnostic markers and thus, might be useful in the differentiation of mild and severe acute cholangitis patients and their prognosis.

Prospective Assessment of Clinical Criteria for Diagnosis and Severity of Acute Cholangitis

Background and Aims Reliable tools to diagnose and prognosticate acute cholangitis are needed to improve patient outcomes. We assessed the accuracy of two clinical criteria, Tokyo and BILE criteria, for diagnosis and severity of acute cholangitis. Methods We identified all patients from 2020 – 21 seen at our institution with suspected cholangitis, defined as having abdominal pain or fever, and abnormal liver enzymes or biliary abnormality on imaging studies. Patient medical records were reviewed and demographics, laboratory results, imaging findings, and procedure results were collected. To ascertain clinical outcomes, patients were followed until hospital discharge or for 30-days after presentation. Results During study period, 175 patients with suspected acute cholangitis were prospectively identified. Average patient age was 69.6 years, 50.3% were women, and 115 met criteria standard for diagnosis of acute cholangitis. Intensive-care admissions in 14.3%, mortality in 5.7% and 30-day readmissions in 7.4% were observed. Tokyo diagnostic criteria for definite cholangitis had higher accuracy 64%, sensitivity 69.6% and specificity of 53.3%, when compared to BILE criteria with accuracy 48.6% (p=0.005), sensitivity 42.61% and specificity 60%. Both criteria performed better in patients with choledocholithiasis (accuracy 80% and 51%) than in patients with pre-existing biliary stents (accuracy 56% and 41%). Tokyo severity grading criteria for severe cholangitis had accuracy of 67.83% and was highly predictive of in-hospital mortality and ICU admission, but not 30-day readmission. Conclusion Tokyo criteria were more accurate than BILE criteria for acute cholangitis, however neither criteria achieved high diagnostic accuracy, especially in patients with pre-existing biliary stents.

Is Ultrasound-guided Bedside Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage Safe and Feasible in Critically Ill Patients with Severe Cholangitis? A Preliminary Single-center Experience.

Severe cholangitis secondary to biliary obstruction carries high mortality unless biliary drainage is performed urgently. Owing to various patient-related and logistical issues, bedside biliary drainage is considered a salvage therapeutic option. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasonography (USG)-guided biliary drainage at the bedside in patients with severe cholangitis admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). A total of 20 patients with severe cholangitis admitted to ICU who underwent bedside percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) under USG guidance were retrospectively evaluated. Clinical outcomes, details about the PTBD procedure, and complications were recorded and analyzed. Among 20 patients, 13 were male and 7 were female with a mean age of 50.5 years. The most common cause of biliary obstruction was gall bladder malignancy (45%, n = 9) followed by cholangiocarcinoma (25%, n = 5). Left- and right-sided PTBD was performed in 40% (n = 8) and 35% (n = 7) patients, respectively, while 25% (n = 5) of patients underwent bilateral PTBD. The technical success rate was 100%. A total of 65% (n = 13) of patients were discharged from ICU upon improvement while the remaining 35% (n = 7) died despite bedside PTBD. None of the patients had any major procedure-related complications. Ultrsound-guided bedside PTBD seems to be a safe and effective option in critically ill patients with severe cholangitis when shifting of patients is not feasible. Singh J, Tripathy TP, Patel R, Chandel K. Is Ultrasound-guided Bedside Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage Safe and Feasible in Critically Ill Patients with Severe Cholangitis? A Preliminary Single-center Experience. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(1):16-21.

Validation of Tokyo guidelines 2018 for safety and mortality benefit from urgent ERCP in acute cholangitis across different age groups.

The 2018 Tokyo Guidelines (TG18) recommend urgent endoscopic biliary drainage based on acute cholangitis (AC) severity. Therefore, we evaluated the safety and mortality benefits of urgent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in different age groups. Using International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) codes, we sampled adult AC patients from National Inpatient Sample. TG18 definition of cholangitis severity was used to identify patients with severe and nonsevere (mild or moderate) AC. Age categories were 18-64, 65-79, and 80 and above. Multivariate linear or logistic regression was used as appropriate. We used Stata, version 14.2, to perform analyses considering two-sided p< .05 as statistically significant. Among 137 100 patients, there were 93 365 (68.09%) patients with nonsevere cholangitis and 43 735 (31.91%) patients with severe cholangitis. Urgent ERCP (within 24 h) resulted in decreased mortality in all age groups for both severe and nonsevere AC. Post-sphincterotomy bleeding was more common in patients ≥80 years of age, whereas post-ERCP acute cholecystitis was more common in patients 65-79 years. The rates of post-ERCP pancreatitis, bile duct perforation, and duodenal perforation did not differ among the age groups. In addition, there were no differences in the rate of sedation-related complications between different age groups who underwent urgent ERCP. This study demonstrates the mortality benefit from urgent ERCP for AC in different age groups and describes the safety of performing urgent ERCP in patients of various ages. Therefore, we recommend that urgent ERCP be performed according to the TG18 guidelines regardless of age.

The Experience of Using Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in the Treatment of Severe Recurrent Cholangitis in Children with Biliary Atresia after Kasai Surgery.

This article describes the experience of application of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells in the complex therapy of severe recurrent cholangitis in 2 children with biliary atresia after Kasai surgery. In both children, hepatic cellular insufficiency and portal hypertension developed against the background of long-term inflammatory process poorly controlled by standard therapy, which was the indication for liver transplantation. During the course of mesenchymal stromal cells therapy, the relief of the inflammatory process and functional recovery of the liver were achieved. At the time of preparing the article, the follow-up of two children since the start of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cell therapy was 3 years 9 months and 2 years 6 months. No recurrence of cholangitis was observed in the patients during the follow-up period, the liver function was preserved. There are no indications for liver transplantation at this moment. Thus, despite the fact that the mechanisms of therapeutic action of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells in biliary atresia require further investigation, we obtained promising results suggesting the possibility of using mesenchymal stromal cells in the treatment of postoperative complications in children with biliary atresia.

Can endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-related procedures for resolving acute cholangitis be effectively and safely performed in patients with surgically altered anatomy? Comparison study to evaluate the timing of short-type single-balloon enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Balloon enteroscopy (BE)-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-related procedures to resolve acute cholangitis (AC) in patients with surgically altered anatomy (SAA) are limited. There is a lack of evidence on whether the timing of BE-assisted ERCP affects clinical outcomes in patients with AC. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of short-type single-balloon enteroscopy (short SBE)-assisted ERCP in patients with SAA and AC. Patients with AC who underwent short SBE-assisted ERCP procedures between September 2011 and April 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The outcomes of procedures undergone at ≤24 h and >24 h were compared. The primary outcome was the length of stay (LOS). Overall, 56 patients underwent procedures at ≤24 h, and 58 patients at >24 h. The procedural success and adverse event rates of short SBE-assisted ERCP were 87.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 80.3-93.1%) and 4.4% (95% CI 1.4-9.9%), respectively. Patients with severe (Grade III) AC and systemic inflammatory response syndrome were more in early (at ≤24 h) ERCP groups. LOS and median time from ERCP procedures to discharge were shorter in the early group. Procedural success and adverse event rates between both groups had no significant differences. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that ERCP performed at ≤24 h was associated with shorter LOS, while severe cholangitis and malignant biliary obstruction were associated with longer LOS. Short SBE-assisted ERCP is effective and safe in patients with SAA and AC. Early procedures seemed to attribute early improvement of general condition, thus shortening the LOS.

S1728 Emergent Decompressive ERCP or Not; Go With Your Gut

Introduction: Acute Cholangitis is a biliary emergency that requires prompt diagnosis & appropriate management in a timely manner. Guidelines and best practices dictate that if the Charcot's triad and Tokyo guidelines are indicating moderate to severe cholangitis, ERCP should be performed urgently. In certain situations however, clinical decision making is not as straight forward. We present a case in which a number of confounding factors caused hesitancy in making that decision. Case Description/Methods: 38-year woman with PMH of Crohn’s colitis on adalimumab presented with 2 weeks of progressively worsening upper abdominal pain associated with decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, change in urine color and chills but no fevers. She completed a course of Augmentin 20 days back for a URI. She was also recovering from alcohol use disorder. She was afebrile and hemodynamically stable. On exam, had marked scleral icterus, palpable liver, spleen with upper abdominal tenderness. Lab were remarkable for lymphocytic leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia and Alk phos 316 U/L, T and DBilirubin-7/6.3 mg/dL, AST/ALT-72/131 U/L, respectively. CT abdomen pelvis with contrast showed no intra-or extrahepatic biliary ductal dilation and moderate hepatosplenomegaly. Ultrasound liver with Doppler confirmed above. GI team was called to evaluate for possible ERCP for cholangitis. Later Peripheral smear which was initially ordered to evaluate low platelets, showed blasts cells following which flow cytometry and bone marrow biopsy confirmed B-lymphoblastic leukemia with BCR-ABL1 fusion 97% of cellularity by differential count (Figure). Liver enzymes normalized after initiation of R-HyperCVAD. Discussion: Intrahepatic cholestasis is a known phenomenon in ALL, however initial presentation with intrahepatic cholestasis is rare except for few reported cases in pediatric population. Leukemic infiltration causing intrahepatic cholestasis causes an important diagnostic dilemma and establishing correct diagnosis has important implications especially since the treatment of choice, ERCP, for the alternate diagnosis is not only invasive but the risk of adverse events is high. Keeping this in mind hematologic malignancies should always be considered as a differential in patients with constitutional symptoms and hepatosplenomegaly. The diagnosis can be confirmed by immunohistochemical stains showing immature B cell lineage from a Liver biopsy; however, it is not necessary as in above case. Systemic chemotherapy is the main treatment for B-ALL/LBL.Figure 1.: Bone Marrow Smear