Chemical ablation of the gallbladder using alcohol in cholecystitis after palliative biliary stenting.
Chemical ablation of the gallbladder is effective in patients at high risk of complications after surgery. Percutaneous gallbladder drainage is an effective treatment for cholecystitis; however, when the drain tube cannot be removed because of recurrent symptoms, retaining it can cause problems. An 82-year-old woman presented with cholecystitis and cholangitis caused by biliary stent occlusion and suspected tumor invasion of the cystic duct. We present successful chemical ablation of the gallbladder using pure alcohol, through a percutaneous gallbladder drainage tube, in a patient who developed intractable cholecystitis with obstruction of the cystic duct after receiving a biliary stent. Our results suggest that chemical ablation therapy is an effective alternative to surgical therapy for intractable cholecystitis.
Lee
Tae-Hoon
TH
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan Hospital, 23-20 Bongmyung-dong, Cheonan, South Korea. thlee9@lycos.co.kr
Park
Sang-Heum
SH
Kim
Sang-Pil
SP
Park
Ji-Young
JY
Lee
Chang-Kyun
CK
Chung
Il-Kwun
IK
Kim
Hong-Soo
HS
Kim
Sun-Joo
SJ
D055011:Ablation Techniques; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D002767:Cholecystostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000187:drug effects / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000431:Ethanol