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Biliary pancreatitis is a major complication of gallstones (6-8%) and mainly affects patients with microlithiasis (22%) and cholesterolosis (29%) of the gallbladder. Transient or prolonged obstruction of the ampulla represents the accepted cause and severe forms of acute pancreatitis are more frequently associated with microlithiasis (21.3% vs. 9.6%) with higher incidence of mortality (6.5% vs. 3.2%) as compared with patients with cholelithiasis. The treatment of cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis performed electively during the same admission, after manifestations of acute pancreatitis had subsided, is an effective procedure to prevent the development of recurrent attacks of pancreatitis. Removal of the gallbladder alone in most patients may represent the definitive treatment, most common bile duct stones passing spontaneously through the papilla during the first four days after admission. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has gained wide acceptance in the treatment of cholelithiasis, but the management of associated choledocholithiasis results still undefined. Personal strategy is to adopt a more selective approach during the acute attack, limiting the performance of ERCP-ES within the first 48 hours to those patients presenting with laboratory and clinical evidence of ampullary obstruction. If choledocholithiasis is found during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, personal recommendation is to attempt the transcystic removal of stones; if this is not feasible, a conversion of the laparoscopic procedure to an open common bile dut exploration should be carried out. Postoperative ERCP-ES does not seem a reasonably strategy, while preoperative ERCP-ES with gallbladder left in situ as treatment alone of associated biliary tract lesions may be considered in high risk patients. The surgical treatment of pancreatic lesions should be reserved to those patients with extended and unmarked or infected pancreatic necrosis, and pancreatic abscess. Closed management (surgical debridement associated with continuous local lavage of the lesser sac) is recommended, while less frequently ventral open packing should be required.

In a previous study, we have shown that caerulein relieves biliary colic pain in gallstone patients. This study was initiated to determine gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi behaviour during biliary colic and their response to caerulein. In 10 gallstone patients gallbladder volume was measured by real-time ultrasonography during a biliary colic episode and 72 hours after cessation of pain, before and after caerulein administration. Basal sphincter of Oddi pressure was determined by CPRE manometry in 10 gallstone patients during biliary colic and three days after cessation of pain, before and after caerulein. The results of this study show that, during biliary colic, gallbladder volume is 8 times greater than in the post-colic state. Basal sphincter of Oddi pressure was also significantly higher during biliary colic than in the post-colic state. Caerulein relieved in all cases the biliary colic pain while reducing gallbladder volume and decreasing the sphincter of Oddi.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is a minimally invasive method of removing the gallbladder that has become an accepted procedure all over the world. Authors performed 200 LC and compare the results of first 70 procedures with a matched group of patients who have undergone traditional cholecystectomy (TC) to evaluate its safety and efficacy. The average length of operation in the LC group was 64.5 +/- 26.3 min as compared to 68.5 +/- 22.5 min in the TC group. The difference between the incidence of postoperative complications in the 2 group was not statistically significant. The average length of stay in the LC group was 2.3 +/- 1.9 days versus 5.2 +/- 1.4 in the TC group. The difference is statistically significant. The comparison between the 2 methods shows less discomfort for LC patients during postoperative course. Pain was minimal, bowel evacuation was early and spontaneous, urinary retention only occurred in 2 patients versus 21 in TC group. The difference is statistically significant. Our results confirm laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe, effective and cost-efficient alternative to open cholecystectomy.

The initial experience of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (50 cases), has been analyzed: the incidence of laparotomy, the complication rate and the postoperative course are in agreement with the data reported in the literature: however in the second half of the cases there was a striking reduction of laparotomies and complications while the postoperative course remained unchanged. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a relatively easy technique which requires nevertheless a didactic training and a constant application. On these premises the results can be good and explain the progressive diffusion of the techniques together with the development of the mini-invasive surgery.

To assess the potential structural changes of the biliary tree and liver in patients with extrahepatic biliary obstruction, the resected specimens of 20 patients operated for benign biliary stricture were evaluated by means of immunocytochemical and histological methods. Furthermore, liver biopsies were taken for the same purposes. The results showed that in the dilated segment of the hepatic duct proximal to the stricture, innervation was greatly reduced or completely absent with associated advanced morphological and histological changes and high intrabiliary pressure levels. Similar findings were observed in the liver biopsies, too. These biopsies showed advanced morphological and histological changes associated with reduced innervation. By contrast, the nondilated segment of the hepatic duct, distal to the obstruction, showed normal innervation, normal morphology and histology and normal levels of intrabiliary pressure. The present study provides evidence that in cases of extrahepatic biliary obstruction, there are advanced pathological changes in the biliary tree associated with innervation impairment. These structural changes are associated with functional changes in both the liver and the biliary tree. Such functional changes represent a threat to the patient, particularly if major surgery is required. Increased biliary pressure appears to be a major cause of the development of these changes. Biliary drainage, either surgical or endoscopic, is indicated as the only alternative to reduce intrabiliary pressure and to contribute to a reversal of these structural and functional changes.

Experimental studies and clinical observations are referred to in stressing the frequent correlation between duodenal, biliary and pancreatic disturbances, and the importance of the role of spontaneous or iatrogenic impairment of Oddi's sphincter in the origin of this pathology. These physiopathological concepts are regarded as fundamental in the correct surgical management of cholelithiasis. A pre- and postoperative diagnostic protocol designed to investigate the anatomofunctional aspects of the duodenum and pancreas as well as bile duct morphology and Oddi sphincter function is described. Its employment enabled 633 cases to be divided six well-defined groups for diversified treatment.

Aging and female sex are major risk factors for cholesterol gallstones: in addition to hepatic secretion of lithogenic bile, decreased gallbladder contractility may play a role in such physiological conditions. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of age and sex on gallbladder kinetics in healthy subjects. Gallbladder volume was measured on the US images of 157 fasting subjects using the sum-of-cylinders method. No significant difference was observed between males and females. On the contrary, age was shown to have a significant positive correlation with fasting gallbladder volume, particularly in males. In a second group of 63 healthy volunteers gallbladder volumes were evaluated both before and after a standard meal. The subjects were grouped according to age, and fasting gallbladder volume appeared to be significantly greater in the groups formed by older people. Gallbladder volumes were compared in younger groups (under 35), and gallbladder emptying resulted to be much more complete in males than in females. On the contrary, no significant difference was observed between males and females over 50--which suggests a possible role of sex- and age-related hormonal factors. The above changes in gallbladder function may facilitate bile stasis which might in turn contribute to the increased risk for cholesterol gallstones notoriously associated with advanced age and female sex.

The BSP loading and continuous infusion tests were performed in 7 patients before and after a two-week treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid (10 mg/Kg/die per os). The following parameters were evaluated: 45th minute retention percentage, plasma disappearance rate during the first 16 minutes, compartmental transfer rates, transport maximum and storage. Our results indicated that no cholestatic effects seemed to be induced during the first period of treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid.

Our study investigates liver involvement serum parameters in 71 subjects with cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis, without primary liver diseases. As a control group 118 healthy subjects were studied. All patients have been examined for serum transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase, total bilirubin and for liver enlargement. The results point out the presence of increased alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase levels in more than half examined patients, and in nearly half of those without hyperbilirubinemia. This fact confirms that the existence of biliary lithiasis itself (even if limited to gall-bladder, in absence of jaundice) may account for the occurrence of a subclinical cholestatic liver impairment, that should be carefully considered in long-term prognosis of these patients.

There are discordant opinions in literature on the techniques of execution of the cholecystography. The authors have examined 104 consecutive patients with the clinical suspicion of gallstones in order to verify the usefulness of the plain radiogram and of the cholecystokinetic test. All the patients have been studied systematically with the plain radiogram of the hepatic region, with cholecystography completed by cholecystokinetic test and with ultrasound. In two cases of radiopaque gallstones (7.1%) the plain radiogram was indispensable for the diagnosis while the cholecystokinetic test has permitted to visualize, in one patient (3.5%), a small radiopaque gallstone previously hidden by the gallbladder opacity. In one subject (50%) the cholecystokinetic test has permitted the identification of a small adenomyoma later confirmed by ultrasound. As a conclusion, the diagnostic accuracy of the cholecystography is inferior to that of ultrasound (in the diagnosis of gallbladder stones and adenomyoma) if the first one is not integrated both with the plain radiogram and with the cholecystokinetic test; the Authors consider on the other side, that this last procedures can be substituted if cholecystography is systematically associated to ultrasound examination.