The presence of a stone or stones within the common bile duct (CBD) is known as choledocholithiasis. Choledocholithiasis is reported in 3%-22% of patients undergoing cholecystectomies [1]. A confirmatory diagnosis of choledocholithiasis is made using advanced imaging, including magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Treatment varies locally; however, ERCP with sphincterotomy is most commonly employed with a high degree of success. Difficult anatomy and difficult stone burden require advanced surgical, endoscopic, and percutaneous techniques to extract or expel biliary stones.

Background: The most common investigations used in the pre-operative diagnosis of choledocholithiasis are ultrasound and liver function tests (LFTs). These modalities have a low sensitivity for detecting common bile duct stones amongst the intermediate-risk groups. Aim: Identify pre-operative findings which predict choledocholithiasis in intermediate-risk groups. Describe the implications of a positive intra-operative cholangiogram (IOC). Method: A retrospective study of all consecutive laparoscopic cholecystectomies with IOC performed. Data were collected over two years between 1st January 2015 and 31st December 2016. Standard demographic variables, preoperative symptoms, LFTs, IOC findings, abdomen ultrasound, and postoperative symptoms were included. Results: 23 cases were planned for IOC. The median age was 41 years. Seventeen cases were females. Indications were 12 biliary colic, eight gallstone pancreatitis, two cases of acute cholecystitis, and one case was for ascending cholangitis. Four cases had a positive IOC, and in this group, the median age was 44.5 years with one male. The mean common bile duct diameter was 6.5 mm. Two patients had biliary colic, one patient gallstone pancreatitis and one acute cholecystitis. One patient had a history of jaundice, and all four cases had elevated GGT above 40 mmol/l, three cases had ALP above 98 mmol/l. Post-operative, out of 23 cases, five cases had an ERCP, repeated ultrasound in three cases, persistence symptoms in four cases. Conclusions: GGT was the strongest predictor of choledocholithiasis. A normal GGT seems to be quite good at ruling out CBD stones. ALP was less accurate. Gallstone pancreatitis is not a good predictor, but it is importance to exclude choledocholithiasis before/during cholecystectomy. There is no relation between the IOC and persistent symptoms.

A 67-years-old male presented with periumbilical abdominal pain, fever and jaundice. His anaerobic blood culture was positive for clostridium perfringens. Computed tomogram scan of the abdomen and abdominal ultrasound showed normal gallbladder and common bile duct (CBD). Subsequently magnetic resonance cholangiopancreaticogram showed choledocholithiasis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticogramwith sphincterotomy and CBD stone extraction was performed. The patient progressively improved with antibiotic therapy Choledocholithiasis should be considered as a source of clostridium perfringens bacteremia especially in the setting of elevated liver enzymes with cholestatic pattern.

Introdução: Atualmente há falta de consenso quanto à melhor estratégia diagnóstica não invasiva em pacientes com suspeita clínica de coledocolitíase. Duas revisões sistemáticas anteriores não demonstraram diferença estatisticamente significativa para detecção de coledocolitíase entre duas modalidades diagnósticas: Ecoendoscopia e Colangiorressonância Magnética Nuclear (CRMN). Entretanto, após a última revisão, outro estudo foi publicado resultando em um incremento significativo na amostra populacional a ser analisada. Objetivo: Comparar os resultados diagnósticos da Ecoendoscopia e da CRMN em pacientes com suspeita clínica de coledocolitíase por intermédio de revisão sistemática. Métodos: Realizou-se pesquisa nos bancos de dados eletrônicos da Medline, Embase, Cochrane, LILACS e Scopus em busca de estudos prospectivos que comparassem a Ecoendoscopia e CRMN na detecção de coledocolitíase, datados anteriormente a setembro de 2017. Todos os pacientes deveriam ter sido submetidos a teste padrão-ouro a fim de confirmação diagnóstica. Os estudos foram submetidos ao Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies para análise de vieses. As variáveis analisadas e comparadas foram sensibilidade, especificidade, prevalência, valor preditivo positivo, valor preditivo negativo e acurácia. Resultados: Foram selecionados oito estudos prospectivos comparando Ecoendoscopia e CRMN no diagnóstico da coledocolitíase. Um total de 538 pacientes foram incluídos na análise. A probabilidade pré-teste para coledocolitíase foi 38,7%. As sensibilidades médias da Ecoendoscopia e da CRMN para detecção de coledocolitíase foram 93,7% e 83,5% respectivamente, e as especificidades foram 88,5% e 91,5%, respectivamente. As probabilidades pós-teste também foram calculadas: valores preditivos positivos de 89% e 87,8%, respectivamente, e valores preditivos negativos de 96,9% e 87,8%. As acurácias foram 93,3% e 89,7%, respectivamente. Conclusão: Para a mesma probabilidade pré-teste de coledocolitíase, a Ecoendoscopia demonstra maior sensibilidade e acurácia quando comparada à CRMN / Background: There is a lack of consensus about the optimal noninvasive strategy for patients with suspected choledocholithiasis. Two previous systematic reviews demonstrated no statistically significant difference between Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) and Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) for detection of choledocholithiasis. A recent publication provided new data to be analyzed. Objective: To compare the diagnostic results of Endoscopic Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography in choledocholithiasis suspected patients. Methods: A systematic review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations including all published prospective trials. Medline, Embase, Cochrane, LILACS and Scopus databases were scanned until September 2017. All patients were submitted to a gold-standard method. The selected studies were submitted to Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies. Aggregated variables such as sensitivity, specificity, prevalence, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy were analyzed. Results: A total of eight prospective trials comparing EUS and MRCP including 538 patients were analyzed. The pretest probability for choledocholithiasis was 38.7. The mean sensitivity of EUS and MRCP for detection of choledocholithiasis was 93.7 and 83.5, respectively; the specificity was 88.5 and 91.5, respectively. The positive predictive value was 89 and 87.8, respectively; the negative predictive value was 96.9 and 87.8 respectively. The accuracy was 93.3 and 89.7, respectively. Conclusion: For the same pretest probability of choledocholithiasis, EUS has higher sensitivity and accuracy compared to MRCP

Introdução: Atualmente há falta de consenso quanto à melhor estratégia diagnóstica não invasiva em pacientes com suspeita clínica de coledocolitíase. Duas revisões sistemáticas anteriores não demonstraram diferença estatisticamente significativa para detecção de coledocolitíase entre duas modalidades diagnósticas: Ecoendoscopia e Colangiorressonância Magnética Nuclear (CRMN). Entretanto, após a última revisão, outro estudo foi publicado resultando em um incremento significativo na amostra populacional a ser analisada. Objetivo: Comparar os resultados diagnósticos da Ecoendoscopia e da CRMN em pacientes com suspeita clínica de coledocolitíase por intermédio de revisão sistemática. Métodos: Realizou-se pesquisa nos bancos de dados eletrônicos da Medline, Embase, Cochrane, LILACS e Scopus em busca de estudos prospectivos que comparassem a Ecoendoscopia e CRMN na detecção de coledocolitíase, datados anteriormente a setembro de 2017. Todos os pacientes deveriam ter sido submetidos a teste padrão-ouro a fim de confirmação diagnóstica. Os estudos foram submetidos ao Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies para análise de vieses. As variáveis analisadas e comparadas foram sensibilidade, especificidade, prevalência, valor preditivo positivo, valor preditivo negativo e acurácia. Resultados: Foram selecionados oito estudos prospectivos comparando Ecoendoscopia e CRMN no diagnóstico da coledocolitíase. Um total de 538 pacientes foram incluídos na análise. A probabilidade pré-teste para coledocolitíase foi 38,7%. As sensibilidades médias da Ecoendoscopia e da CRMN para detecção de coledocolitíase foram 93,7% e 83,5% respectivamente, e as especificidades foram 88,5% e 91,5%, respectivamente. As probabilidades pós-teste também foram calculadas: valores preditivos positivos de 89% e 87,8%, respectivamente, e valores preditivos negativos de 96,9% e 87,8%. As acurácias foram 93,3% e 89,7%, respectivamente. Conclusão: Para a mesma probabilidade pré-teste de coledocolitíase, a Ecoendoscopia demonstra maior sensibilidade e acurácia quando comparada à CRMN / Background: There is a lack of consensus about the optimal noninvasive strategy for patients with suspected choledocholithiasis. Two previous systematic reviews demonstrated no statistically significant difference between Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) and Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) for detection of choledocholithiasis. A recent publication provided new data to be analyzed. Objective: To compare the diagnostic results of Endoscopic Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography in choledocholithiasis suspected patients. Methods: A systematic review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations including all published prospective trials. Medline, Embase, Cochrane, LILACS and Scopus databases were scanned until September 2017. All patients were submitted to a gold-standard method. The selected studies were submitted to Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies. Aggregated variables such as sensitivity, specificity, prevalence, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy were analyzed. Results: A total of eight prospective trials comparing EUS and MRCP including 538 patients were analyzed. The pretest probability for choledocholithiasis was 38.7. The mean sensitivity of EUS and MRCP for detection of choledocholithiasis was 93.7 and 83.5, respectively; the specificity was 88.5 and 91.5, respectively. The positive predictive value was 89 and 87.8, respectively; the negative predictive value was 96.9 and 87.8 respectively. The accuracy was 93.3 and 89.7, respectively. Conclusion: For the same pretest probability of choledocholithiasis, EUS has higher sensitivity and accuracy compared to MRCP

<p>Акутни панкреатитис је ензиматско инфламаторно оболење панкреаса, са инциденцијом око 17/100000 становника. Најчешћи етиолошки чиниоци који се везују за ово стање су билијарна калкулоза (45%) и конзумација алкохолних пића (35%). Ређи узроци су одређени лекови, хипертриглицеридемија, хиперкалијемија, траума, урођени чиниоци, и идиопатски панкреатитис (20%). По међународној Атланској (Atlanta) класификацији, акутни панкреатитис се може манифестовати у умереној, умерено тешкој и тешкој форми. Умерене форме панкреатитиса се јављају у 80%, карактеришу се едемом органа и имају благ и краткотрајан клинички ток, са стопом морталитета од 1%. Основни циљ лечења болесника са акутним панкреатитисом у прва 24 сата хоспитализације јесте олакшавање тегоба, утврђивање узрока панкреатитиса и процена тежине обољења. Акутни панкреатитис билијарне етиологије узрокован је калкулозом жучне кесе и/ или жучних путева. Препоручени третман билијарне калкулозе, у циљу превенције поновног атака умерене форме билијарног панкреатитиса , подразумева уклањање жучне кесе лапароскопском холецистектомијом са интраоперативном холангиографијом. Уколико се дијагностикује калкулоза жучних канала ради се ендоскопска ретроградна холангиопанкреатографија (ЕРЦП) са ендоскопском папилотомијом (ЕПТ) и уклањем__ калкулуса и детритуса уз жучних водова, са циљем обезбеђивања нормалног протока жучи у дванаестопалачно црево. Циљ овог истраживања је оптимализација редоследа примене ЛХ и ЕРЦП са ЕПТ, идентификацијом предикционих показатеља холедохолитијазе, ради скраћења дужине хоспитализације болесника са умереном формом акутног билијарног панкреатитиса. У спроведеној проспективној анамнестичкој студији, учествовало је 100 болесника лечених од умерене форме акутног билијарног панкреатитиса, у Ургентном центру Клиничког центра Војводине, од 2011. до 2015.године, од којих је код 80 урађена само ЛХ, а код 20 ЛХ и ЕРЦП са ЕПТ. Анализом клиничких, ултразвучних и лабораторијских налаза, идентификовано је 5 статистички значајних предиктора холедохолитијазе; директни и укупни билирубин, алкална фосфатаза (АФ), гама глутирил транспепдидаза (гама ГТ) и це реактивни протеин (ЦРП), на основу којих је омогућено креирање математичког модела за предикцију холедохолитијазе, коришћењем теорије потпорних вектора (СВМ). Установљено је да патолошки налази ових параметара значајно указују на холедохолитијазу, те да је ЛХ препоручена као метода првог избора, код болесника код којих налази предиктора холедохолитијазе нису патолошки. Овако лечени болесници су имали значајно краће време хоспитализације. Поред тога, уколико се интраоперативном холангиографијом (ИОХ) при ЛХ установи холедохолитијаза, ЕРЦП са ЕПТ се може урадити без одлагања.</p> / <p>Akutni pankreatitis je enzimatsko inflamatorno obolenje pankreasa, sa incidencijom oko 17/100000 stanovnika. Najčešći etiološki činioci koji se vezuju za ovo stanje su bilijarna kalkuloza (45%) i konzumacija alkoholnih pića (35%). Ređi uzroci su određeni lekovi, hipertrigliceridemija, hiperkalijemija, trauma, urođeni činioci, i idiopatski pankreatitis (20%). Po međunarodnoj Atlanskoj (Atlanta) klasifikaciji, akutni pankreatitis se može manifestovati u umerenoj, umereno teškoj i teškoj formi. Umerene forme pankreatitisa se javljaju u 80%, karakterišu se edemom organa i imaju blag i kratkotrajan klinički tok, sa stopom mortaliteta od 1%. Osnovni cilj lečenja bolesnika sa akutnim pankreatitisom u prva 24 sata hospitalizacije jeste olakšavanje tegoba, utvrđivanje uzroka pankreatitisa i procena težine oboljenja. Akutni pankreatitis bilijarne etiologije uzrokovan je kalkulozom žučne kese i/ ili žučnih puteva. Preporučeni tretman bilijarne kalkuloze, u cilju prevencije ponovnog ataka umerene forme bilijarnog pankreatitisa , podrazumeva uklanjanje žučne kese laparoskopskom holecistektomijom sa intraoperativnom holangiografijom. Ukoliko se dijagnostikuje kalkuloza žučnih kanala radi se endoskopska retrogradna holangiopankreatografija (ERCP) sa endoskopskom papilotomijom (EPT) i uklanjem__ kalkulusa i detritusa uz žučnih vodova, sa ciljem obezbeđivanja normalnog protoka žuči u dvanaestopalačno crevo. Cilj ovog istraživanja je optimalizacija redosleda primene LH i ERCP sa EPT, identifikacijom predikcionih pokazatelja holedoholitijaze, radi skraćenja dužine hospitalizacije bolesnika sa umerenom formom akutnog bilijarnog pankreatitisa. U sprovedenoj prospektivnoj anamnestičkoj studiji, učestvovalo je 100 bolesnika lečenih od umerene forme akutnog bilijarnog pankreatitisa, u Urgentnom centru Kliničkog centra Vojvodine, od 2011. do 2015.godine, od kojih je kod 80 urađena samo LH, a kod 20 LH i ERCP sa EPT. Analizom kliničkih, ultrazvučnih i laboratorijskih nalaza, identifikovano je 5 statistički značajnih prediktora holedoholitijaze; direktni i ukupni bilirubin, alkalna fosfataza (AF), gama glutiril transpepdidaza (gama GT) i ce reaktivni protein (CRP), na osnovu kojih je omogućeno kreiranje matematičkog modela za predikciju holedoholitijaze, korišćenjem teorije potpornih vektora (SVM). Ustanovljeno je da patološki nalazi ovih parametara značajno ukazuju na holedoholitijazu, te da je LH preporučena kao metoda prvog izbora, kod bolesnika kod kojih nalazi prediktora holedoholitijaze nisu patološki. Ovako lečeni bolesnici su imali značajno kraće vreme hospitalizacije. Pored toga, ukoliko se intraoperativnom holangiografijom (IOH) pri LH ustanovi holedoholitijaza, ERCP sa EPT se može uraditi bez odlaganja.</p> / <p>Acute pancreatitis is an enzymatic inflammatory disease of the pancreas, with an incidence of around 17/100000 inhabitants. The most common etiological factors that are associated with this condition are biliary calculi (45%) and consumption of alcoholic beverages (35%). Less common causes include certain medications, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperkalemia, trauma, congenital factors and idiopathic pancreatitis (20%). According to the Atlanta International classification, acute pancreatitis can be manifested in a moderate, moderately severe and severe forms. Moderate forms of pancreatitis occur in 80%, characterized by pancreatic edema and have mild and short clinical course, with a mortality rate of 1%. The main goal of treatment of patients with acute pancreatitis in the first 24 hours of hospitalization is to facilitate complaints, determining the cause of pancreatitis and assessment of severity of the disease. Acute biliary pancreatitis is caused by calculosis of the gallbladder and / or bile ducts. The recommended treatment of biliary calculi, in order to prevent repeated attacks of moderate biliary pancreatitis, involves the removal of the gallbladder thru laparoscopic cholecystectomy with intraoperative cholangiography. If presence of bile duct calculi is established, an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with endoscopic papillotomy (EPT) and removes stones and detritus along the bile ducts is indicated, with the aim of ensuring the normal flow of bile into the duodenum. The aim of this study is the optimization of the order of application LH and ERCP with EPT, the identification of predictable indicators of choledocholithiasis, in order to shorten the length of hospitalization of patients with a moderate form of acute biliary pancreatitis. We conducted prospective case control study, with 100 patients involved, treated for moderate forms of acute biliary pancreatitis in the Emergency Center of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina, from 2011 to 2015, of which 80 made only with LH and 20 with LH at and ERCP with EPT . The analysis of clinical, ultrasound and laboratory findings identified 5 significant predictors of choledocholithiasis; direct and total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (AF), gamma glutiril transpepdidase (gamma GT) and C reactive protein (CRP), under which enabled the creation of a mathematical model for predicting choledocholithiasis, using the Support vector machines (SVM). It was found that pathological findings of these parameters indicate a significant choledocholithiasis, and LH is recommended as the first choice in patients in whom there are not present pathological predictors of choledocholithiasis. Thus treated patients had a significantly shorter hospital stay. In addition, if the intraoperative cholangiography (IOH) during LH show choledocholithiasis, ERCP with the EPT can be done without delay.</p>