Liver, pancreatic, and biliary surgery

This chapter outlines the assessment of a patient who presents with jaundice. The management of the common benign conditions affecting the liver, pancreas and biliary system, such as gallstones, common bile duct stones, acute and chronic pancreatitis, benign liver lesions, liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension, are detailed. It also describes the management of the relevant malignancies; pancreatic cancer, hepatocellular cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder cancer and colorectal liver metastases.

Levels of plasma homocysteine dynamics speciality in the development of acute postresection hepatic failure

This study aims to evaluate the level of plasma homocysteine in patients with acute post-resection hepatic failure, depending on the degree of the disease. Materials and Methods. The article presents the results of a study of plasma homocysteine levels in 40 patients with c different classes of acute post-resection liver failure. Indications for liver resection were: primary liver cancer 11 (27%), metastatic liver lesions 21 (53%), parasitic liver diseases 3 (7%), benign liver formations 5 (13%). Patients were divided into 3 groups - Patients with Post hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) class developed in the postoperative period A, B and C. Results. Analysis of the data showed that the initially normal level of plasma homocysteine before liver resection (surgical treatment) and after has different developmental options. Depending on the class of post-resection hepatic failure, the level of plasma homocysteine changes and has deviations from the reference values. In a comparative analysis of the average homocysteine values in the group of patients with post-resection hepatic insufficiency of class A, after surgical treatment, they were significantly lower than in patients with PHLF B and C. In particular, in patients with class B and C PNF, there is a significant trend towards an increase in homocysteine levels after surgery. Hyperhomocysteinemia may be a risk factor for the development of acute liver failure after surgical treatment for focal liver disease. Possibly, its adverse effect on the function and restoration of the liver parenchyma, which requires further targeted study.

Regression of multiple hepatocellular adenomas after cessation of oral contraceptive pills : a case report and review of the current literature

Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is an uncommon benign liver neoplasm usually solitary and identified incidentally on imaging. We report a case of a 50-year old female who was diagnosed with multiple hepatic adenomas of the inflammatory subtype. After discontinuation of oral contraception a decrease of both the number and size of the liver lesions was seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without the need of further intervention. The major challenge in the clinical management of patients with multiple HCAs resides in the risk assessment for future complications. In the case of multiple HCAs subtype seemed to be more relevant than the actual number of lesions. Because little is known about the natural evolution in patients with multiple HCAs, we performed a review of the current literature with focus on the different subtypes and their clinical relevance.

Fibrinogen Like Protein 1 as a Potential Biomarker for Hepatitis B Virus Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background There is an urgent need for new serum biomarkers for early screening of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Fibrinogen like protein 1 (FGL1) may develop the potential diagnostic value of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) in HBV-related HCC. Methods The TCGA database was used to screen out genes related to liver cancer and perform differential expression analysis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chemiluminescence immunoassay were used to detect concentrations of FGL1 and AFP. Using immunofluorescence semi-quantitative method to detect the mean fluorescence intensity of FGL1. Result FGL1 is lower in tumor tissues than in normal tissues. The serum levels of FGL1 and AFP in patients with HBV-related HCC are significantly higher than others for each group. Compared with other groups, the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of FGL1 is higher than that of AFP when compared with the normal group, and the AUC of other groups is lower than that of AFP. The combination of the two can increase the AUC to 0.862 (95%CI, 0.786 ~ 0.918) in distinguishing benign liver disease from HBV-related HCC. The specificity of FGL1 and AFP in the diagnosis of HBV-related HCC is 98.39% and 70.97%, respectively. The specificity of the combination was 93.55%. In distinguishing the A and B stages in the BCLC staging, the combination of the two increased the AUC from 0.584 to 0.647. When distinguishing benign liver disease from HBV-related HCC, the AUC of FGL1 reached 0.849, with a specificity of 100%. Conclusion FGL1 can be used as a non-invasive biomarker for HCC. When combined with AFP, the diagnostic efficiency and specificity were improved.

Plasma heat shock protein 90alpha as a biomarker for the diagnosis of liver cancer: in patients with different clinicopathologic characteristics

Purposes The purposes of this study were to assess the correlation between the plasma level of Hsp90α and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with liver cancer and compare the diagnostic efficacy of Hsp90α, AFP, CEA, and CA199 in HCC. Experimental design A total of 200 individuals, including 140 patients with liver cancer or benign liver diseases and 60 healthy people, were enrolled for quantitative measurement of plasma Hsp90α by ELISA. Results The plasma level of Hsp90α was significantly different between patients with liver cancer or benign liver diseases and healthy controls (P < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, and AUC (95% CI) of Hsp90α were 93.2%, 85.4%, and 0.931% (0.891–0.972%), respectively, when Hsp90α was applied to differentiate liver cancer patients and healthy controls. Significant positive correlations between the plasma Hsp90α level and clinicopathological characteristics such as the history of basic liver disease (P = 0.038), active stage of hepatitis (P = 0.039), Child-Pugh score (P < 0.001), size of focal liver lesions (P = 0.004), and extrahepatic metastasis (P < 0.001) were observed. AFP + Hsp90α was the best combination strategy for the auxiliary diagnosis of HCC, with a sensitivity of 95.7%, a specificity of 97.5%, and an AUC of 0.990 (0.976–1.000). The level of plasma Hsp90α decreased significantly (P < 0.001) after resection of tumor tissue. Conclusions This study demonstrated that plasma Hsp90α levels are useful as a diagnostic biomarker in liver cancer and may predict the responses of patients with liver cancer to surgery. Some clinicopathological characteristics could affect the plasma Hsp90α levels.

Scoping review of clinical practice guidelines on the management of benign liver tumours

ObjectiveBenign liver tumours (BLT) are increasingly diagnosed as incidentalomas. Clinical implications and management vary across and within the different types of BLT. High-quality clinical practice guidelines are needed, because of the many nuances in tumour types, diagnostic modalities, and conservative and invasive management strategies. Yet, available observational evidence is subject to interpretation which may lead to practice variation. Therefore, we aimed to systematically search for available clinical practice guidelines on BLT, to critically appraise them, and to compare management recommendations.DesignA scoping review was performed within MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science. All BLT guidelines published in peer-reviewed, and English language journals were eligible for inclusion. Clinical practice guidelines on BLT were analysed, compared, and critically appraised using the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) checklist regarding hepatic haemangioma, focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), and hepatocellular adenoma (HCA). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations (PRISMA) for scoping reviews were adhered to.ResultsThe literature search yielded unique 367 papers, 348 were excluded after screening of title/abstract, and 16 after full-text screening. Three guidelines were included: the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG; 2014), Brazilian Society of Hepatology (SBH; 2015), and European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL; 2016). There was no uniformity in the assessment methods for grading and gravity of recommendations between guidelines. Among observed differences were: (1) indications for biopsy in all three tumours; (2) advices on contraceptive pills and follow-up in FNH and HCA; (3) use of an individualised approach to HCA; (4) absence of recommendations for treatment of HCA in men; and (5) approaches to HCA subtype identification on magnetic resonance imaging.ConclusionRecognising differences in recommendations can assist in harmonisation of practice standards and identify unmet needs in research. This may ultimately contribute to improved global patient care.

The Use of Robotics in Surgery of Benign Liver Diseases: A Systematic Review

Background. Surgical treatment of benign liver diseases (BLD) remains a field of conflict, due to increased risk and high complication rate. However, the introduction of minimally invasive surgery has led to increased number of patients with BLD being treated surgically, with similar outcomes and fewer complications. Current data support the application of laparoscopic surgery (LS) and robotic surgery (RS) in surgical treatment of liver malignancies, but there are insufficient data concerning the application of robotic surgery in BLD. In the present systematic review, we aimed to evaluate the application of RS in BLD surgery. Methods. After a thorough search of Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, 12 studies were considered eligible with a total number of 115 patients with BLD. Discussion. In brief, RS appears to be a safe and feasible option for BLD surgery. When compared to open surgery, RS is associated with lower blood loss, shorter length of stay, and fewer complication rate. Regarding LS, the peri- and postoperative outcomes were similar, but RS can overcome the technical limitations of LS. However, the cost of RS remains a major drawback in its widespread application. Conclusions. Considering our findings, RS can be a safe and feasible option for BLD surgery, but further studies are needed to justify the introduction of RS in liver surgery and to define the type of patients that will benefit the most from it.

Quantitative Analysis of the Time–Intensity Curve of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound of the Liver: Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Liver Lesions

Background: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of quantitative perfusion parameters in contrast-enhanced ultrasound to differentiate malignant from benign liver lesions. Methods: In this retrospective study 134 patients with a total of 139 focal liver lesions were included who underwent contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) between 2008 and 2018. All examinations were performed by a single radiologist with more than 15 years of experience using a second-generation blood pool contrast agent. The standard of reference was histopathology (n = 60), MRI or CT (n = 75) or long-term CEUS follow up (n = 4). For post processing regions of interests were drawn both inside of target lesions and the liver background. Time–intensity curves were fitted to the CEUS DICOM dataset and the rise time (RT) of contrast enhancement until peak enhancement, and a late-phase ratio (LPR) of signal intensities within the lesion and the background tissue, were calculated and compared between malignant and benign liver lesion using Student’s t-test. Quantitative parameters were evaluated with respect to their diagnostic accuracy using receiver operator characteristic curves. Both features were then combined in a logistic regression model and the cumulated accuracy was assessed. Results: RT of benign lesions (14.8 ± 13.8 s, p = 0.005), and in a subgroup analysis, particular hemangiomas (23.4 ± 16.2 s, p < 0.001) differed significantly to malignant lesions (9.3 ± 3.8 s). The LPR was significantly different between benign (1.59 ± 1.59, p < 0.001) and malignant lesions (0.38 ± 0.23). Logistic regression analysis with RT and LPR combined showed a high diagnostic accuracy of quantitative CEUS parameters with areas under the curve of 0.923 (benign vs. malignant) and 0.929 (hemangioma vs. malignant. Conclusions: Quantified CEUS parameters are helpful to differentiate malignant from benign liver lesions, in particular in case of atypical hemangiomas.