Endoscopic pancreatocholangiography. II. The pathological endoscopic pancreatocholangiogram.

Abstract

Endoscopic pancreatocholangiography was successfully performed in 200 (74.1%) of 270 cases, obtaining 45 endoscopic pancreatocholangiograms, 133 endoscopic pancreatograms, and 22 endoscopic cholangiograms. Fourteen neoplastic lesions including nine of carcinoma of the pancreas, two of carcinoma of the common bile duct, and one each of carcinoma of the gallbladder, peripancreatic tumor, and multicentric liver tumor were correctly diagnosed while no other investigational procedure was able to clarify the diagnosis. This was also the case in eight instances of cholelithiasis, five of choledocholithiasis, and one of cholecystocholedocholithiasis. Chronic pancreatitis was confirmed in 55 cases. The abnormalities on endoscopic pancreatograms are very variable in this condition, but the procedure may well prove valuable in evaluating the severity of chronic pancreatitis.