James Mayes

The prevalence of coronary artery disease in liver transplant candidates over age 50

The prevalence of angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD) in adults with end-stage liver disease who undergo evaluation for liver transplantation is unknown; also it is unclear if cholestatic liver disease represents an independent risk factor. Patients with end-stage liver disease over age 50 having liver transplantation were studied using coronary angiography. Arterial stenosis was graded as normal, mild (< 30%), moderate (30 to 70%), or severe (> 70%). Risk factors for CAD were also assessed (male sex, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, family history of premature heart disease). Complications related to the angiography and decision making based on the findings were recorded. Thirty seven patients (23 females) with a median age of 61 years (range 50 to 71) underwent angiography. Thirteen patients (35.1%) had cholestatic liver disease. Thirty patients had no history of heart disease. The overall prevalence of severe coronary artery disease was 16.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.2% to 32.0%). No association was detected between CAD and cholestatic liver disease (P = 0.72). After eliminating seven patients with a prior history of angina (n = 1), myocardial infarction (n = 1), or coronary revascularization (n = 5), the frequency of moderate or severe CAD was 13.3% (95% CI = 3.8% to 30.7%). No association was detected between unsuspected CAD and cholestatic liver disease (P = 0.61). Diabetes was the most important risk factor for moderate or severe disease (P = 0.01). Patients without risk factors had significantly less CAD than the group as a whole regardless of the liver disease type (P = 0.02). Two patients experienced transient renal insufficiency after the angiography. Three patients with severe CAD were denied transplantation. We conclude that CAD represents a significant problem in patients over age 50 undergoing liver transplant evaluation. Cholestatic liver disease was not associated with a significantly higher prevalence of moderate or severe CAD in our population. Diabetes was the most predictive risk factor, and those without risk factors do not require extensive preoperative cardiac evaluation.

Role of angiography and embolization for massive gastroduodenal hemorrhage.

The role of mesenteric angiography and embolization for massive gastroduodenal bleeding is unclear. We reviewed the records of patients who underwent angiography for acute, nonmalignant, and nonvariceal gastric or duodenal hemorrhage that was documented but not controlled by endoscopy. Fifty patients were identified over a 7-year period ending in March 1998. Only 17 patients (34%) were originally admitted to the hospital with gastrointestinal bleeding. All required treatment in the intensive care unit (mean 15 days) with a mean APACHE III score of 79 (29% predicted hospital mortality), and 32 (64%) had organ failure. A mean of 2.1 endoscopies were performed to locate the source of acute duodenal bleeding in 37 (74%) and gastric bleeding in 13 (26%). An average of 24.3 units of packed red blood cells were transfused per patient. Twenty-five patients (50%) were found to have active bleeding at angiography; all were treated by embolization as were 22 who underwent empiric embolization. Twenty-six patients (52%) were successfully treated by embolization and thus spared imminent surgery. Multiple variables were compared between those who were successfully treated by embolization and those considered failures. Time to angiography was considerably shorter (2.5 vs. 5.8 days, P <0.017) and fewer total units of packed red blood cells were used (14.6 vs. 34, P <0.003) in those who were successfully treated. There was also a strong trend toward using fewer units of packed red blood cells for transfusion prior to angiography (11.2 vs. 17.1, P <0.08). No differences were found that could be attributed to gastric vs. duodenal sources, number of comorbid diseases, organ failure, APACHE score, age, or whether active bleeding was found at angiography. A total of 20 patients (40%) died including 9 of 17 patients operated on in an attempt to salvage angiographic failure. In summary, angiographic embolization should be performed early in the course of bleeding in otherwise critically ill patients.

Trends in bile duct injuries from laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Bile duct injuries are a serious complication of cholecystectomy Laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LC) were originally associated with an increased incidence of injuries Patients referred to a tertiary center were reviewed to assess the trends in the number, presentation, and management Seventy-three patients were referred over a 6-year period with a maximum of 17 patients referred in 1992, but the number has not declined substantially over time The persistent number of referrals is a consequence of ongoing injuries One third of injuries were diagnosed at LC, and the use of cholangiography has not mcreased The number of cystic duct leaks has not decreased and they represent 25% of all cases The level of injury has remained unchanged with Bismuth types I and II in 3 7% and types III and IV in 38% Excluding patients with cystic duct leaks, 58% were referred after a failed ductal repair Definitive treatment with biliary stenting was successful in 37%, and 34 patients (47%) required a bihary-entenc anastomosis Complications occurred in 18 patients (25%) including seven with postoperative stricture or cholangins No biliary reoperations have been performed at a mean follow-up of 36 months

Presentation and management of cystic neoplasms of the pancreas.

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms are uncommon, but it is important to differentiate them from pseudocysts and ductal adenocarcinoma. A retrospective review was performed to determine distinguishing characteristics and optimal treatment. In 51 patients operated on between 1981 and 1994 at a referral center, the following cystic neoplasms were found: 20 serous cystadenomas, 10 mucinous cystadenomas, 11 mucinous cystadenocarcinomas, five cases of mucinous ducal ectasia, and five papillary cystic neoplasms. Both mucinous ductal ectasia and papillary cystic neoplasms had distinguishing features when compared to other cystic neoplasms. Mucinous ductal ectasia was seen only in men, presented with typical symptoms, and had distinctive features on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Papillary cystic neoplasms occurred in young women (mean age 31 years) and were larger (mean 10.3 cm). Mucinous tumors were always symptomatic, whereas 55% of serous tumors were asymptomatic (P <0.001). The overall rate of resectability was 80%, and there was one operative death (2 %). Intraoperative biopsy was diagnostic in 18 (78%) of 23 cases. An actuarial 5-year survival of 52% was found for resected mucinous cystadenocysticneoplasms.In conclusion, papillary cystic neoplasms and mucinous ductal ectasia have distinct characteristics that differentiate them from other types of pancreatic cystic tumors. Serous cystadenoma should be considered in asymptomatic patients and these patients should be closely observed. Symptomatic neoplasms should be resected with long-term survival expected for malignant forms.

Fifty years of surgery for portal hypertension at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Lessons and prospects.

OBJECTIVE The 50-year experience with surgery for the treatment of portal hypertension and bleeding varices at the Cleveland Clinic is reviewed. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA A variety of procedures have been used to treat bleeding varices during the past 50 years. These include transesophageal ligation of varices or devascularization of the esophagus and stomach with splenectomy; portal-systemic (total) shunts; distal splenorenal (selective) shunts; endoscopic sclerotherapy; transjugular intrahepatic portal-systemic shunts; and liver transplantation. METHODS Our experience with these procedures is reviewed in four time periods: 1946 to 1964, 1965 to 1980, 1980 to 1990, and 1990 to 1994. RESULTS Our use of these procedures has changed as experience and new techniques for managing portal hypertension have evolved. Most ligation--devascularization--splenectomy procedures were performed before 1980; they provide excellent results in patients with normal livers and extrahepatic portal venous obstruction, but a major complication (40-50%) is rebleeding. Total shunts were performed most frequently before 1980; with patient selection, operative mortality was reduced to 8%, control of bleeding was achieved in more than 90%, but the incidence of encephalopathy was high (30%). Selective shunts provide almost equal protection from rebleeding with less post-shunt encephalopathy. We currently use selective shunts for patients with good liver function. Liver transplantation has been used since the mid 1980s for patients with poor liver function and provides good results for this difficult group of patients. CONCLUSIONS The selection of patients for these procedures is the key to the successful management of portal hypertension.

Interferon alpha 2B and ribavirin in severe recurrent cholestatic hepatitis C.

Severe recurrent cholestatic hepatitis C after liver transplantation has a poor prognosis and no standard therapy is currently available. Four cases of severe recurrent cholestatic hepatitis C treated with a combination of interferon alpha 2b and ribavirin are described. All four patients were transplanted for hepatitis C-related cirrhosis. The mean age at transplantation was 45 years (range 41-51 years). Three of the patients were male and one was female. All four patients had hepatitis C virus viremia before and after liver transplantation. At 2 to 23 months after liver transplantation, all four patients developed jaundice, cholestatic elevation of liver enzymes, and histopathology consistent with severe recurrent cholestatic hepatitis C. Combination of interferon and ribavirin was given with prompt virological suppression. Despite this rapid viral suppression, all four patients developed progressive graft failure with three deaths.

Laparoscopic hernia repair enhances early return of physical work capacity

Several researchers have documented less postoperative pain and a quicker return to daily activities after laparoscopic herniorrhaphy. However, little objective data that validates this hypothesis exists. This study compares the rate of postoperative physical work capacity with return to preoperative levels, which is measured by a standard treadmill test in patients who underwent laparoscopic and conventional open hernia repair. Patients completed a 6-minute walking test preoperatively and 1 week postoperatively using a nonmotorized treadmill. The distance walked was recorded. If the distance that a patient achieved at 1 week was not within 0.02 miles of the preoperative values of the patient, the patient was asked to return at 1 month for repeat testing. Patients were enrolled prospectively in this study from October 1997 to February 1999. Sixty-six patients participated in the study (27 laparoscopic herniorrhaphies and 39 open herniorrhaphies were performed). There was no significant difference in age, body mass index, or preoperative distance achieved among the two groups. At 1 week, patients who underwent laparoscopic repair demonstrated a mean increase of 18 meters from preoperative distance (P = 0.07). In the open group, patients demonstrated a mean decrease of 90 meters at 1 week (P = 0.001). The change in distance at 1 week between the laparoscopic and the open groups was statistically significant (P = 0.001). However, at 1 month, there was no significant difference among the two groups. Measured using treadmill walking, laparoscopic hernia repair seems to offer an early advantage to open repair in return-to-physical-work capacity.

Agreement in pathologic interpretation of liver biopsy specimens in posttransplant hepatitis C infection

Hepatitis C virus-related disease is rapidly becoming the most common indication for orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) in the United States. Although post-OLT hepatitis C viremia is universal, 40% to 60% of patients develop recurrent chronic hepatitis C. Distinguishing recurrent chronic hepatitis C infection from acute rejection may be difficult because of overlapping histopathologic features. To improve our diagnostic accuracy we undertook a study to determine interobserver and intraobserver agreement between pathologists examining post-OLT liver biopsy specimens in patients from our transplant database. Clinical data and microscopic sections from 26 patients with hepatitis C virus-related OLT were reviewed. Biopsy specimens were obtained because of abnormal liver enzymes (21/26) or routine post-OLT follow-up (5/26), representing both early (18+/-11 days) and late (252+/-206 days) post-OLT periods. Unidentified sections were examined by an experienced pathologist in a randomly assigned order and reexamined 6 weeks later in the same fashion by the initial reviewer and a second experienced pathologist. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was calculated using K statistic. The intraobserver agreement was 81 % with a kappa coefficient of 0.67 (P = .001). The interobserver agreement was 78% with a kappa coefficient of 0.60 (P < .001). The early post-OLT biopsy specimens (18+/-11 days) were the most difficult to interpret.

Hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) disposition after liver transplant (LT) in chronic hepatitis B (HBV)

Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (1999) 65, 128–128; doi: