Randomised controlled trial of long-term maintenance corticosteroid therapy in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis.

Objective: Corticosteroid has been established as the standard therapy for autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), but the requirement for maintenance corticosteroid therapy is controversial. We conducted a randomised controlled trial to clarify the efficacy of maintenance corticosteroid therapy in patients with AIP.

Design: We conducted a multicentre, tertiary setting, randomised controlled trial.

Preoperative biliary drainage for hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Hilar cholangiocarcinomas grow slowly, and metastases occur late in the natural history. Surgical cure and long-term survival have been demonstrated, when resection margins are clear. Preoperative biliary drainage has been proposed as a way to improve liver function before surgery, and to reduce post-surgical complications.