Lee TH, Park SH, Kim SP, Park JY, Lee CK, Chung IK, Kim HS, Kim SJ. Chemical ablation of the gallbladder using alcohol in cholecystitis after palliative biliary stenting. World J Gastroenterol 2009; 15(16): 2041-2043 [PMID: 19399941 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.15.2041]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Tae Hoon Lee, MD, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan Hospital, 23-20 Bongmyung-dong, Cheonan 330-721, South Korea. thlee9@lycos.co.kr
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
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World J Gastroenterol. Apr 28, 2009; 15(16): 2041-2043 Published online Apr 28, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.2041
Chemical ablation of the gallbladder using alcohol in cholecystitis after palliative biliary stenting
Tae Hoon Lee, Sang-Heum Park, Sang Pil Kim, Ji-Young Park, Chang Kyun Lee, Il-Kwun Chung, Hong Soo Kim, Sun-Joo Kim
Tae Hoon Lee, Sang-Heum Park, Sang Pil Kim, Ji-Young Park, Chang Kyun Lee, Il-Kwun Chung, Hong Soo Kim, Sun-Joo Kim, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan Hospital, 23-20 Bongmyung-dong, Cheonan 330-721, South Korea
Author contributions: Lee TH, Chung IK, and Park SH contributed the design of the study; Lee TH performed all of the procedures described in the paper; Kim SP, Park JY, Lee CK and Kim HS provided the clinical advice; Park SH and Kim SJ edited the manuscript; Lee TH wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Tae Hoon Lee, MD, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan Hospital, 23-20 Bongmyung-dong, Cheonan 330-721, South Korea. thlee9@lycos.co.kr
Telephone: +82-41-5703675
Fax: +82-41-5745762
Received: January 27, 2009 Revised: March 17, 2009 Accepted: March 24, 2009 Published online: April 28, 2009
Abstract
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.
