Preoperative risk factors for skeletal muscle mass loss in patients with biliary tract cancer

Background

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC)-related procedures, usually performed before biliary tract cancer (BTC) surgery, are associated with increased risk for various complications, which can cause sarcopenia. No study has previously elucidated the relationship between preoperative ERC-related procedures and sarcopenia/skeletal muscle mass loss.

Methods

Patients with BTC who underwent radical surgical resection following ERC-related procedures were included. Skeletal muscle mass was evaluated using the psoas muscle mass index (PMI), which was determined using computed tomography images, and the change in PMI before the initial pre-ERC and surgery (ΔPMI) was calculated. Risk factors for advanced skeletal muscle mass loss, defined as a large ΔPMI, were evaluated.

Results

The study cohort included 90 patients with a median age of 72 (interquartile range, 65–75) years. The median PMI pre-ERC and surgery was 4.40 and 4.15 cm²/m², respectively (p < .01). The median ΔPMI was −6.2% (interquartile range, −10.9% to 0.5%). By multivariate analysis, post-ERC pancreatitis and cholangitis before surgery were independent predictive factors for large PMI loss (odds ratio, 4.57 and 3.18, respectively; p = .03 and p = .02, respectively).

Conclusions

Skeletal muscle mass decreases preoperatively in most patients with BTC undergoing ERC. Post-ERC pancreatitis and cholangitis before surgery were independent risk factors for large skeletal muscle mass loss.