ENDOSCOPIC RETROGRADE CHOLANGIOPANCREATOGRAPHY IN DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF NON-ALCOHOLIC PANCREATITIS

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 147  (3) , 333-338
Abstract
Patients [28] with idiopathic pancreatitis were studied. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was diagnostic in 21 of 28, while an operation was diagnostic in 4 of the remaining 7 patients. Fifteen of 25 patients had operable disease of the gallbladder, common bile duct, ampulla of Vater or pancreatic duct. Of 10 patients who had an operation on the pancreas, biliary tract or both for painful attacks of pancreatitis, none had a recurrence in a 7 mo. to 3 yr follow-up study. Two patients had reconstruction of the pancreatic duct for chronic painless steatorrhea, one of whom had marked clinical improvement. Ten of 25 patients had normal biliary tracts with normal or minimally abnormal pancreatic ducts and were treated medically. Visualization of biliary and pancreatic ducts should be attempted by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with pancreatitis of unknown cause. Operable lesions were found in 15 of 25 patients, and the postoperative results were excellent.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: