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Background and study aims  Evaluation of longitudinal tumor extent is indispensable for curative surgical treatment of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and feasibility of cholangioscopic-guided mapping biopsy using a newly developed peroral digital cholangioscope, SpyGlass DS (SpyDS), for preoperative evaluation of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Patients and methods  Thirteen patients (mean age, 75 years; male 10, female 3) with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma who underwent cholangioscopic-guided mapping biopsy using SpyDS for preoperative evaluation were included in this study. Successful cholangioscopic-guided mapping biopsy was defined as the acquisition of specimens sufficient for histopathological diagnosis. Results  The mean number of biopsies was 5 per patient. The overall success rate for cholangioscopic-guided mapping biopsy was 88 % (59/67). The success rate for cholangioscopic-guided mapping biopsy from the confluence of the right and left hepatic ducts was 89 %, that from the B4 confluence was 93 %, that from the confluence of the right anterior and right posterior segmental ducts was 86 %, that from the intrapancreatic common bile duct was 67 %, and that from the main lesion was 100 %. The overall diagnostic accuracy of longitudinal tumor extent at the hepatic side, the duodenal side and overall by cholangioscopic findings and mapping biopsy, was 88 % (7/8), 88 % (7/8) and 88 % (7/8), respectively. Assessment according to location of the main lesion revealed that diagnostic accuracy in the patients with distal bile duct carcinoma was 100 % (5/5) and that in patients with perihilar bile duct carcinoma was 66 % (2/3). Complications after the procedure did not occur in any patients. Conclusions  Cholangioscopic-guided mapping biopsy using SpyDS is thought to be feasible for preoperative evaluation of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes of inside plastic stents (iPSs) versus those of metal stents (MSs) for treating unresectable perihilar malignant obstructions. Methods: For all patients who underwent endoscopic suprapapillary placement of iPS(s) or MS(s) as the first permanent biliary drainage for unresectable malignant perihilar obstructions between January 2014 and August 2019, clinical outcomes using iPSs (n=20) and MSs (n=85), including clinical efficacy, adverse events, and time to recurrence of biliary obstruction (RBO), were retrospectively evaluated. Results: There were no differences in clinical effectiveness (95% for the iPS group vs. 92% for the MS group, p=1.00). Procedure-related adverse events, including pancreatitis, acute cholangitis, acute cholecystitis, and death, were observed for 8% of the MS group, although no patient in the iPS group developed such adverse events. The median time to RBO was 561 days (95% confidence interval, 0-1,186 days) for iPSs and 209 days (127-291 days) for MSs, showing a significant difference (p=0.008). Conclusions: Time to RBO after iPS placement was significantly longer than that after MS placement. IPSs, which are removable, unlike MSs, were an acceptable option. Clin Endosc 2020 Mar 4. [Epub ahead of print]

Background/Aims It is often difficult to manage acute cholecystitis after metal stent (MS) placement in unresectable malignant biliary strictures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of endoscopic ultrasonography-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) for acute cholecystitis. Methods The clinical outcomes of 10 patients who underwent EUS-GBD for acute cholecystitis after MS placement between January 2011 and August 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. The procedural outcomes of percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) with tube placement ( n =11 cases) and aspiration (PTGBA) ( n =27 cases) during the study period were evaluated as a reference. Results The technical success and clinical effectiveness rates of EUS-GBD were 90% (9/10) and 89% (8/9), respectively. Severe bile leakage that required surgical treatment occurred in one case. Acute cholecystitis recurred after stent dislocation in 38% (3/8) of the cases. Both PTGBD and PTGBA were technically successful in all cases without severe adverse events and clinically effective in 91% and 63% of the cases, respectively. Conclusions EUS-GBD after MS placement was a feasible option for treating acute cholecystitis. However, it was a rescue technique following the established percutaneous intervention in the current setting because of the immature technical methodology, including dedicated devices, which need further development.

Background/Aims:In this study, we aimed to evaluate the predictive value of localized stenosis of the main pancreatic duct (MPD) for early detection of pancreatic cancer. Methods:Among 689 patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde pancreatography from January 2008 to September 2018, 19 patients with MPD findings were enrolled. These patients showed findings for indicating suspicious pancreatic cancer at an early stage (FiCE); FiCE was defined as a single, localized stenosis in the MPD without a detectable mass (using any other imaging methods) and without other pancreatic diseases, such as definite chronic pancreatitis, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, and autoimmune pancreatitis. Final diagnoses were established by examining resected specimens or through follow-up examinations after an interval of >5 years. Results:Among 19 patients with FiCE, 11 underwent surgical resection and 8 were evaluated after a >5-year observation period. The final diagnosis of the MPD stenosis was judged to be pancreatic cancer in 9 patients (47%), including 3 with intraepithelial cancer, and to be a non-neoplastic change in 10. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of preoperative pancreatic juice cytology were 75%, 100%, and 88%, respectively. Conclusions:The predictive value of FiCE for pancreatic cancer prevalence was 47%. Histological confirmation with pancreatic juice cytology is necessary before surgical resection.