Role of Repeat Computed Tomography after Emergency Endoscopic Retrograde Pancreatography in the Diagnosis of Traumatic Injury to Pancreatic Ducts

Abstract

Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) is performed on patients with pancreatic injury after abdominal trauma. To delineate pancreatic ductal injuries more accurately, we performed repeat computed tomography (CT) shortly after completion of ERP. We describe our experiences with six patients to demonstrate the feasibility and utility of this method. In our cases, the diagnosis of pancreatic ductal injury was made with certainty on the basis of the presence of extravasated contrast medium. This protocol is useful for reaffirmation of injuries noted on ERP, for diagnosis of injuries not noted on ERP, and for exclusion of injuries in patients with equivocal results of ERP. Moreover, the protocol is easy to implement because it involves only the transfer of the patient from the endoscopy to the CT suite. The technique can be used to clarify potentially confusing situations.