One of the most common and serious complications of hepatic hydatid cyst disease is communication between the cyst and the biliary tree. Surgical management of biliary fistula is associated with high morbidity and mortality. We retrospectively reviewed the effectiveness of endoscopic treatment of ruptured hydatid cyst into intrahepatic bile ducts. Diagnosis of intrabiliary rupture of hydatid cyst was mostly suspected by acute cholangitis, jaundice, pain, and/or persistent external biliary fistula after surgery. The diagnosis was confirmed by radiology and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) findings. We retrospectively reviewed clinical, laboratory, imagery, and ERCP findings for all patients. The therapeutic methods performed were endoscopic sphincterotomy, extraction by balloon or Dormia basket, stenting, or nasobiliary drainage. Sixteen patients with ruptured hepatic hydatid cyst into bile ducts were seen in 9 years. Nine of 16 patients had a surgical history of hepatic hydatid cyst and three patients had a percutanous treatment history. We carried out ERCP with sphincterotomy and extraction of hydatid materials (extraction balloon n = 11; Dormia basket n = 5) or biliary drainage (nasobiliary drainage n = 1; biliary stenting n = 1). The fistula healed in 80 % of patients with a median time of 6 weeks [range, 1-12] after endoscopic treatment. ERCP was an effective method of treatment for hepatic hydatid cyst with biliary fistula.

Most cases of hepatic hydatid disease exhibit uncomplicated clinical course and management. However, the diagnosis and management of complicated hepatic hydatid disease is a special issue. One of the most common and serious complications of hepatic hydatid disease is the rupture of the cyst into intrahepatic bile ducts. The clinical appearance of intrabiliary rupture can range from asymptomatic to jaundice, cholecystitis, cholangitis, liver abscess, pancreatitis and septicemia. Current treatments for major ruptures can result in high morbidity and mortality rates. Furthermore, ruptures that cannot be diagnosed preoperatively can induce complications such as biliary fistulae, biloma, cavitary infection and obstructive jaundice. In the past, these complications were diagnosed and treated by surgical methods. Currently, complications in both the pre- and postoperative periods are diagnosed and treated by non-invasive or minimally invasive methods. In clinical practice, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is indicated for patients with preoperative frank intrabiliary rupture in which hydatid elements are clearly seen in the bile ducts, or for biliary adverse events after surgery, including persistent biliary fistulae and jaundice. However, controversy concerning routine preoperative ERCP and prophylactic endoscopic sphincterotomy in patients suspected of having minor cystobiliary communications still remains. In this article, the role of ERCP in the diagnosis and management of hepatic hydatid disease during the pre- and postoperative periods is reviewed.

Hydatid disease is a zoonosis caused by the larvae of Echinococcus granulosus . Humans are an intermediate host and are usually infected by direct contact with dogs or indirectly by contaminated foods. Hydatid disease mainly involves the liver and lungs. The disease can be asymptomatic. Imaging techniques such as ultrasonography and computed tomography are used for diagnosis. The growth of hydatid cysts can lead to complications. Communication between bile duct and cysts is a common complication. The goal of treatment for hydatid disease is to eliminate the parasite with minimum morbidity and mortality. There are 3 treatment options: surgery, chemotherapy, and interventional procedures. Medical treatment has low cure and high recurrence rates. Percutaneous treatment can be performed in select cases. There are many surgical approaches for managing hydatid cysts, although there is no best surgical technique, and conservative and radical procedures are used. Conservative procedures are usually preferred in endemic areas and are easy to perform but are associated with high morbidity and recurrence rates. In these procedures, the parasite is sterilized using a scolicidal agent, and the cyst is evacuated. Radical procedures include hepatic resections and pericystectomy, which have high intraoperative risk and low recurrence rates. Radical procedures should be performed in hepatobiliary centers. The most common postoperative complications are biliary fistulas and cavity-related complications. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography can be used to diagnose and treat biliary system complications. Endoscopic sphincterotomy, biliary stenting, and nasobiliary tube drainage are effective for treating postoperative biliary fistulas.

Liver hydatidosis may lead to serious morbidity due to biliary complications, the management for which endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) and biliary drainage are very efficient. We evaluated the effectiveness of endoscopic treatment for complications of hepatic hydatid disease.

We retrospectively reviewed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures performed between January 2000 and December 2009 and compared laboratory findings, localization of the lesions and ERCP procedures applied between patients with and without jaundice.

In all, 70 ERCP procedures were performed in 54 patients (24 men, 30 women). Of the 70 procedures, 24 were performed to treat jaundice. All patients with biliary fistulas and jaundice were managed with endoscopic procedures. The 70 ERCP procedures included sphincterotomy only (n = 40); sphincterotomy and stent placement (n = 7); stent placement only (n = 4); sphincterotomy and membrane extraction (n = 9); sphincterotomy, membrane extraction and pus drainage (n = 5); and sphincterotomy and pus drainage (n = 5). Laboratory results improved in 3-7 days, and bile leakage ceased in 2-21 days.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a safe and effective way to manage biliary complications of hepatic echinococcal disease. In most patients, ES is the most efficient treatment of postoperative external biliary fistulas, jaundice and accompanying cholangitis, as it enables clearing the bile ducts of hydatid remnants; ES should be performed since it accelerates the healing process by decreasing pressure in the choledochus.

Bile leaks from the intrahepatic biliary tree are an important cause of morbidity following hepatic surgery and trauma. Despite reduction in mortality for hepatic surgery in the last 2 decades, bile leaks rates have not changed significantly. In addition to posted operative bile leaks, leaks may occur following drainage of liver abscess and tumor ablation. Most bile leaks from the intrahepatic biliary tree are transient and managed conservatively by drainage alone or endoscopic biliary decompression. Selected cases may require reoperation and enteric drainage or liver resection for management.

Hydatid disease most commonly affects the liver, and rupture into the bile ducts is a frequent complication occurring in 5% to 25% of patients. Biliary endoscopic procedures have become the treatment of choice for the management of biliary fistulae. Objective parameters for the endoscopic management of biliary fistulas are still necessary.

In this multicentric retrospective study, a total of 109 patients who underwent surgery for a hydatid cyst localized to the liver and presented with persistent drainage of bile from a lodge drain after surgical intervention were included in this study. All patients were treated by an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the therapeutic endoscopic procedure: group 1 (n: 70) included patients who underwent only endoscopic sphincterotomy; group 2 (n: 22) included patients who had a 10 F biliary stent inserted; and group 3 (n: 17) included patients who had a 7 F biliary stent inserted. Recorded data were reviewed and the groups were compared.

The mean daily fistula output was 247 mL (range: 100 to 600 mL) in group 1, 534 mL (range: 200 to 1000 mL) in group 2, and 372 mL (range: 120 to 780 mL) in group 3, respectively. There were significant differences between the sphincterotomy group and the stenting groups (P<0.001). The closure time of the external biliary fistula was 23.7 days (range: 6 to 60 d) in group 1, 12.6 days (range: 7 to 23 d) in group 2, and 20 days (range: 6 to 33 d) in group 3, respectively. When compared with the sphincterotomy group, the fistula closure time was shorter in group 2 than in group 1 (P<0.001). There were no differences in this respect between the groups 1 and 3 (P=0.214). Group 2 also had a shorter fistula closure time than group 3 (P<0.001). There was no mortality in any of the study groups. Mild bleeding was observed in 3 cases in group 1 and in 1 in group 3. CONCULUSIONS: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and related therapeutic procedures are safe and valuable in the postoperative management of external biliary fistulae in the hepatic hydatid disease. In high-output fistulae (>300 mL/d), indicating a major cystobiliary communication, stent placement may be preferred. The diameter of the stent should preferably be 10 F. This 10 F stent is superior to other endoscopic approaches in the treatment of biliary fistulas.

Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) involves both the vascular and biliary structures of the liver. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is said to be an alternative for the diagnosis and treatment of biliary complications of HAE. We present here our experience with ERCP in HAE.

We followed 13 patients who underwent ERCP for the treatment of biliary complications of HAE in the endoscopy unit of our clinic at Ataturk University School of Medicine, Erzurum between January 2002 and June 2008.

Eight men and five women were followed up. Mean age was 43.2 (24-64 years). All patients had non-resectable HAE. Indications for ERCP were biliary fistula in seven patients, obstructive jaundice in five patients and cholangitis in one patient. Endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) was carried out in 12 patients, and in one patient with biliary leakage, a stent was inserted into the right hepatic branch. ERCP findings were dilated common bile duct, irregular narrowing and distortion of the common bile duct and common hepatic duct, communication with the cystic cavity or biliocutaneous fistula and complete disappearance of the biliary tree above the level of the common hepatic duct or hepatic bifurcation. In patients with biliary leakage, biliary drainage decreased only in two patients after ERCP and in patients with obstructive jaundice, the high bilirubin levels decreased in only one patient.

ERCP showed structural changes of the external biliary tract and ES has a limited effect on these changes and stents can be used in selected cases.

Hydatid disease, although endemic mostly in sheep-farming countries, remains a public health issue worldwide, involving mainly the liver. Intrabiliary rupture is the most frequent complication of the hepatic hydatid cyst. Endoscopy is advocated, preoperatively, to alleviate obstructive jaundice caused by intracystic materials after a frank rupture and is also a useful and well-established adjunct in locating postoperative biliary fistulas. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography with sphincterotomy has been successful as the sole and definitive means of treatment of intrabiliary ruptured hydatid cysts. A case of an elderly woman with frank rupture is presented, where the rupture was definitively managed endoscopically in conjunction with sphincterotomy to remove the intrabiliary obstructive daughter cysts and to achieve decontamination of the biliary tree. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography provided an excellent diagnostic and therapeutic modality in the present case and, thus, it should be considered as definitive treatment in similar cases especially if surgical risk is anticipated to be high.

The most common and serious complication of hepatic hydatid cyst disease is the communication between the cyst and the biliary tree. The diagnosis and treatment of this condition poses various difficulties. Data from patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for hydatid cysts communicating with the bile ducts either in the preoperative or postoperative setting over a 2-year period have been analyzed. In the preoperative group (n=41), jaundice (n=18), biliary colic (n=11), and cholangitis (n=10) were the most common presentations. On the other hand, the most common indication for ERCP in the postoperative group (n=69) was biliocutaneous leaks (n=60) and cholangitis (n=9). All but 2 patients in the preoperative group were treated by endoscopic sphincterotomy and/or extraction of hydatid cyst remnants followed by the placement of nasobiliary drainage catheter for the patients who had filling defects on cholangiogram. Subsequently, these patients were referred for surgery. ERCP was a definitive treatment for the remaining 2 patients. Endotherapy was successful for the patients who developed leak or had cyst remnants following surgery, whereas long-term biliary stenting was required for those who developed bile duct stenosis. There was no ERCP-associated complication, except mild pancreatitis in a single patient and self-limited hemorrhage in 2 patients. ERCP is an efficacious and safe method for the diagnosis and management of biliary complications associated with hydatid cyst disease.

Biliary fistula develops in 4%-28% of patients after hepatic hydatid disease (HHD) surgery. Although endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) are helpful in the treatment of this complication, persistent fistulas may occur. We therefore conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic biliary stenting in the treatment of biliary fistulas after HHD.

In this study, 84 patients who underwent ERCP for postoperative biliary fistula due to HHD were evaluated. Group I included 70 patients treated with only ES, and group II included 14 patients who underwent biliary stenting as their initial treatment. Demographic data, complications, the results of treatment and the reasons for the failure were compared between two groups.

Ninety-five ERCPs were performed. In 63 patients, biliary fistulas were successfully treated with only ERCP and ES. However, 7 patients underwent repeat ERCP and stent placement because of persistent fistula. Biliary stenting was initially performed in 14 patients. The average time for closure of the fistula was 14 +/- 10 days and 7 +/- 3 days in group I (7 patients with repeat ERCP were excluded) and group II, respectively (p = 0.007). There was no statistically significant difference in the complication rates between the groups.

Although ES is effective in the treatment of biliary fistula after HHD surgery, endoscopic biliary stenting may be considered as the initial procedure in patients with biliary stricture, incomplete clearance of hydatid material in the bile duct, and persisting biliary fistulas after treatment with ERCP and ES.

This paper reviews the literature on zoonotic cestode infections with specific reference to the years 1999-2003. The sources and prevalence of various zoonotic tapeworm infections caused by adult and larval stages of the genera Taenia, Echinococcus, Diphyllobothrium, Hymenolepis and Dipylidium continue to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality, not only in most underdeveloped countries but also in industrialized countries, particularly in rural areas or among immigrant groups from endemic areas. The review gives a detailed report on recent molecular epidemiological studies on the taxonomy and phylogenetic variations in Echinococcus granulosus, immunological tests and imaging techniques used in epidemiological surveys and clinical investigations of important adult and larval tapeworm infections of animals and humans. Larval stages or metacestodes of Taenia solium, Echinococcus spp. and pseudophyllidean tapeworms (Spirometra syn. Diphyllobothrium spp.) may reside in various tissues of their intermediate hosts, including humans. In particular, Cysticercus cellulosae (T. solium) and the larvae of E. granulosus, and E. multilocularis, which are predominantly located in the liver, lungs and central nervous system forming various types of cysts, lead to a complex of systemic diseases such as cysticercosis, cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis, respectively. Relatively rare clinical manifestations are seen in the muscles, subcutaneous tissue, spleen, kidneys, bones and body cavities.