[Endoscopic papillary dilatation: an alternative to papillotomy? (author's transl)].

Endoscopic papillary dilatation (EPD) was performed by means of a balloon catheter in patients with common duct stones of a diameter up to 8 mm. Larger stones had to be crushed before extraction by a modified Dormia basket. The fragments could be removed subsequently using the balloon catheter. A patient with benign papillary stenosis was treated successfully by endoscopic dilatation of the sphincter of Oddi. Dilatation of the papilla offers a papilla preserving alternative to papillotomy in patients with common duct stones and in benign papillary stenosis.