Endoscopic therapy for stenosis of the biliary and pancreatic duct orifices.

BACKGROUND

Manipulation of the duodenal papilla may lead to symptomatic stenosis of the orifices of bile duct, main pancreatic duct or accessory pancreatic duct.

METHODS

Seventeen patients with stenosis of the orifice (bile duct 7, bile duct/main pancreatic duct 7, accessory pancreatic duct 3) underwent sphincterotomy and/or dilation and stent placement for a median of 140 days (range 30 to 1080 days). Patients were interviewed at a median of 720 days (range 120 to 990 days) after removal of the final stent.

RESULTS

Median age was 50 years (range 17 to 68 years); 78% were women. The etiology of stenosis of the orifice was sphincterotomy in 8, sphincteroplasty in 7 and papillectomy in 2 patients. Indications for treatment were abdominal pain (100%), dilated bile duct and/or main pancreatic duct (14 patients) and pancreas divisum (3 patients). Sixty procedures (median 4 per patient) were performed with mild morbidity (hospital stay less than 3 days) in 17% of procedures and 35% of patients. Symptoms improved in 100%, 57% and 33% of patients with bile duct, bile duct/main pancreatic duct and accessory pancreatic duct, respectively. Surgery was ultimately needed in 3 (43%) patients with bile duct/main pancreatic duct and 2 (67%) with accessory pancreatic duct stenosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic therapy successfully relieves pain due to biliary stenosis of the orifice but less frequently relieves pain due to pancreatic stenosis of the orifice.