EUS-guided transhepatic cholangiography: report of 6 cases

BACKGROUND: This report describes a novel application of EUS-guided cholangiography in which a transhepatic approach was used to alleviate perihilar and distal biliary obstructions when this could not be accomplished at ERCP. METHODS: EUS-guided transhepatic cholangiography was used to alleviate symptoms of biliary obstruction in 6 patients. In 4 cases, after transgastric puncture of an intrahepatic branch of the obstructed bile duct with a 19- or a 22-gauge EUS needle, a guidewire was advanced antegrade across both the biliary stricture and the papilla. Subsequently, a rendezvous procedure was performed, allowing ERCP and stent placement. OBSERVATIONS: EUS-guided transhepatic cholangiography was performed in 6 patients, with successful rendezvous ERCP and stent placement in 4, and transduodenal stent placement in another patient. Stent placement was unsuccessful in one patient, because of the inability to advance a guidewire into the common hepatic duct. There was no immediate complication of the procedures. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-guided transhepatic cholangiography can be used to access and to drain bile ducts that are obstructed by proximal, as well as distal lesions when ERCP is unsuccessful.     

EUS-assisted rendezvous stenting of the pancreatic duct for chronic calcifying pancreatitis with multiple pseudocysts.

Introduction: The best choice of endoscopic drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts complicating chronic pancreatitis is currently unknown, with EUS-guided transmural drainage competing with ERCP transpapillary techniques. However, recent studies currently recommend the use of both techniques in complex cases. Case Presentation: We present the case of a 60-year-old male patient with chronic calcifying pancreatitis, with severe ductal obstruction and multiple communicating pancreatic pseudocysts. The patient presented in the emergency department with weight loss, jaundice, steatorrhea and diabetes. Initial imaging evaluation (by transabdominal US, EUS and MRCP) depicted a dilated common bile duct, intrahepatic bile ducts and dilated main pancreatic duct (up to 1 cm) with multiple stones, as well as three pseudocysts at the level of the pancreatic head and one pseudocyst at the level of the pancreatic tail. ERCP with direct cannulation and transpapillary drainage of the bile duct or pancreatic duct was unsuccessful. Consequently, a EUS-assisted rendezvous stenting of the pancreatic duct was done, with the transpapillary placement of a 5-cm stent. Biliary cannulation was also possible with the placement of a double pigtail 9-cm stent in the common bile duct. Subsequent evolution was rapidly favorable with the disappearance of the pancreatic pseudocysts on the control CT after 24 h. Conclusion: Our case clearly showed the benefit of combined draining procedures even in cases of chronic pancreatitis with multiple pseudocysts where surgical drainage was previously deemed necessary.     

Pancreatic guidewire placement for achieving selective biliary cannulation during endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography

AIM： To investigate the frequency and risk factors for acute pancreatitis after pancreatic guidewire placement （P-GW） in achieving cannulation of the bile duct during endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography （ERCP）.
METHODS： P-GW was performed in 113 patients in whom cannulation of the bile duct was difficult. The success rate of biliary cannulation, the frequency and risk factors of post-ERCP pancreatitis, and the frequency of spontaneous migration of the pancreatic duct stent were investigated.
RESULTS： Selective biliary cannulation with P-GW was achieved in 73% of the patients. Post-ERCP pancreatitis occurred in 12% （14 patients： mild, 13; moderate, 1）. Prophylactic pancreatic stenting was attempted in 59% of the patients. Of the 64 patients who successfully underwent stent placement, three developed mild pancreatitis （4.7%）. Of the 49 patients without stent placement, 11 developed pancreatitis （22%： mild, 10; moderate, 1）. Of the five patients in whom stent placement was unsuccessful, two developed mild pancreatitis. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed no pancreatic stenting to be the only significant risk factor for pancreatitis. Spontaneous migration of the stent was observed within two weeks in 92% of the patients who had undergone pancreatic duct stenting.
CONCLUSION： P-GW is useful for achieving selective biliary cannulation, Pancreatic duct stenting after P-GW can reduce the incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis, which requires evaluation by means of prospective randomized controlled trials,     

Stent implantation through rendezvous technique of PTBD and ERCP: the treatment of obstructive jaundice

OBJECTIVE: To study the technical method and clinical value of stent implantation through the rendezvous technique of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with obstructive jaundice. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with obstructive jaundice underwent the rendezvous technique of PTBD and ERCP after initially unsuccessful ERCP. RESULTS: The procedure of 36 cases were all successful. Sixteen cases underwent PTBD drainage from the bile duct through the right lobe approach and in 20 cases the left lobe approach was used. The one-stage procedure involved in the rendezvous technique of PTBD and ERCP was successful in 23 cases, while the other 13 cases underwent PTBD first and then rendezvous ERCP the next time. The serum total bilirubin 4 days later had decreased by 44.75%, and direct bilirubin had decreased by 45.61%. The main complication was infection of the bile duct. CONCLUSION: Stent implantation using the rendezvous technique of PTBD and ERCP is a new and feasible method to treat obstructive jaundice after initially unsuccessful ERCP. This may be of considerable value in clinical practice.     

Pancreatic duct drainage using EUS-guided rendezvous technique for stenotic pancreaticojejunostomy

The patient was a 30-year-old female who had undergone excision of the extrahepatic bile duct and Rouxen-Y hepaticojejunostomy for congenital biliary dilatation at the age of 7.Thereafter,she suffered from recurrent acute pancreatitis due to pancreaticobiliary maljunction and received subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy.She developed a pancreatic fistula and an intra-abdominal abscess after the operation.These complications were improved by percutaneous abscess drainage and antibiotic therapy.How ever,upper abdominal discomfort and the elevation of serum pancreatic enzymes persisted due to stenosis from the pancreaticojejunostomy.Because we could not accomplish dilation of the stenosis by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography,we tried an endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS) guided rendezvous technique for pancreatic duct drainage.After transgastric puncture of the pancreatic duct using an EUS-fine needle aspiration needle,the guidewire was inserted into the pancreatic duct and finally reached to the jejunum through the stenotic anastomosis.We changed the echoendoscope to an oblique-viewing endoscope,then grasped the guidewire and withdrew it through the scope.The stenosis of the pancreaticojejunostomy was dilated up to 4 mm,and a pancreatic stent was put in place.Though the pancreatic stent was removed after three months,the patient remained symptomfree.Pancreatic duct drainage using an EUS-guided rendezvous technique was useful for the treatment of a stenotic pancreaticojejunostomy after pancreaticoduodenectomy.     

EUS-guided pancreaticogastrostomy: analysis of its efficacy to drain inaccessible pancreatic ducts

BACKGROUND: EUS-guided pancreaticogastrostomy (EPG) has been reported as an alternative to surgery in cases of pancreatic stricture where ERCP is unsuccessful. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed our 3-year experience with this innovative technique. DESIGN: Patients with failed ERCP for pancreatic drainage were offered EPG over a 3-year period and were followed up prospectively in terms of clinical and radiologic response. SETTING: Tertiary care center offering ERCP and interventional EUS. PATIENTS: Thirteen patients were included in this study. Seven had surgical diversion Six patients had unaltered enteral anatomy and stricture related to chronic pancreatitis (3), gallstone pancreatitis (2), and intraductal pancreatic mucinous neoplasm (1). INTERVENTION: EUS-guided puncture and opacification of the pancreatic duct was performed, creating a transgastric fistula with placement of a guidewire into the main pancreatic duct and subsequent ductal decompression with a plastic endoprosthesis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Mean main pancreatic duct size, pain score, and weight before and after intervention. RESULTS: Ten patients had successful endoprosthesis placement across the pancreaticogastric fistula. One patient underwent brush cytologic study, which diagnosed pancreatic malignancy, and underwent surgical resection. After a mean follow-up of 14 months, the mean pancreatic duct size in treated patients decreased from 4.6 to 3.0 mm (P = .01); the pain score decreased from 7.3 to 3.6 (P = .01). Complications included one case of bleeding requiring hemoclip placement and 1 case of contained perforation. LIMITATIONS: Pilot study from a single center. CONCLUSIONS: EPG is a safe and feasible alternative to surgical intervention in this subgroup of patients where conventional ERCP is not possible.     

ERCP in patients with long-limb Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy and intact papilla

BACKGROUND: ERCP by means of long-limb Roux-en-Y surgical anastomoses has been reported primarily in patients with biliary or pancreatic anastamoses, but rarely in patients with an intact papilla. METHODS: All ERCP procedures attempted over a 6-year interval in patients with Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomies and an intact papilla were reviewed. Patients with a prior Billroth II operation or alteration of the major papilla were excluded. Cannulation and therapy were primarily performed with a duodenoscope after exploration and placement of a guidewire in the afferent limb with a forward-viewing colonoscope. In some cases the duodenoscope was pulled into the afferent limb with a wire-guided balloon passed retrograde into the afferent limb. A follow-up of 30 days was obtained for all patients as part of a prospective ERCP outcome study. RESULTS: Of 15 patients in whom ERCP was attempted, the papilla was reached in 10 patients (67%), the bile duct being accessed in all 10. Needle-knife precut papillotomy after placement of a pancreatic duct stent was performed in 3 patients. Biliary sphincterotomy with a variety of techniques was successful in all 9 patients in whom it was attempted. Other maneuvers included stone extraction, sphincter of Oddi manometry, and biliary stent placement. Final diagnoses were sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (6), malignant biliary stricture (2), choledocholithiasis plus tumor (1), and choledocholithiasis (1). Complications occurred after 3 (12%) of 25 ERCP procedures including pancreatitis (1 mild, 1 moderate) and bleeding (1 mild), all in patients with sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP was ultimately successful in two thirds of patients with long-limb gastrojejunostomies and an intact papilla. The success of the ERCP is determined primarily by ability to advance a duodenoscope through the afferent limb. Once the major papilla was accessed with a duodenoscope, advanced biliary and pancreatic therapeutic techniques were feasible.     

Endoscopic ultrasound guided therapy of benign and malignant biliary obstruction: a case series

OBJECTIVES: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography is an established method for treatment of common bile duct stones as well as for palliation of patients with malignant pancreaticobiliary strictures. It may be unsuccessful in the presence of a complex peripapillary diverticulum, prior surgery, obstructing tumor, papillary stenosis, or impacted stones. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and surgery are alternative methods with a higher morbidity and mortality in these cases. Recently, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided biliary stent placement has been described in patients with malignant biliary obstruction. We describe our experience with this method that was also used for the treatment of cholangiolithiasis for the first time. METHODS: The EUS guided transduodenal puncture of the common bile duct with stent placement was performed in 5 patients. In 2 of these patients, the stents were removed after several weeks and common bile duct stones were extracted. In another patient with gastrectomy, the left intrahepatic bile duct was punctured transjejunally and a metal stent was introduced transhepatically to bridge a distal common bile duct stenosis. RESULTS: Biliary decompression was successful in all 6 patients. No immediate complications occurred. One patient developed a subacute phlegmonous cholecystitis. CONCLUSIONS: Interventional EUS guided biliary drainage is a new technique that allows drainage of the biliary system in benign and malignant diseases when the bile duct is inaccessible by conventional ERCP.     

Selective MRCP and CT-targeted drainage of malignant hilar biliary obstruction with self-expanding metallic stents

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic management of malignant hilar biliary obstruction is controversial with respect to optimal types of stents and extent of drainage. This study evaluated outcomes of selective MRCP and CT-targeted drainage with self-expanding metallic stents. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing attempted palliative ERCP for malignant hilar biliary obstruction were prospectively followed. Whenever possible, management strategy included evaluation and staging for potential resectability before ERCP, with primary placement of metallic stents at the first ERCP in nonsurgical candidates, and early conversion to a metallic stent when a tumor proved to be unresectable. MRCP and/or CT were used to plan selective guidewire access, opacification, and drainage only of the largest intercommunicating segmental ducts. Unilateral stent placement was intended in all cases except for selected patients with Bismuth II cholangiocarcinoma. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were included. Bismuth classification was I, 10; II, 6; III, 8; and IV, 11. Tumor origin was bile duct (17), gallbladder (5), and metastatic (13). Metallic stents were placed in 27 patients as the initial stent, and in 8 after plastic stent placement. Initial stents were placed endoscopically in 33 patients and percutaneously in 2 patients in whom lumenal tumor precluded ERCP. Stent placement was unilateral in 31 patients and bilateral in 4 patients. There were no episodes of cholangitis or other complications within 30 days after any procedures. Initial metallic stents were clinically effective in 27 (77%) of the 35 patients. Additional percutaneous drainage in 3 patients who did not respond to initial stent placement did not resolve jaundice. Median patency of first metallic stents was 8.9 months for patients with primary bile duct tumors and 5.4 months for all patients, and was not related to Bismuth classification. No further intervention was needed in 25 (71%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Unilateral metallic stent placement by using MRCP and/or CT to selectively target drainage provides safe and effective palliation in most patients with malignant hilar biliary obstruction.     

Pancreatic stent insertion: consequences of failure and results of a modified technique to maximize success

BACKGROUND: Increasingly, pancreatic stents are being placed to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis. However, guidewire and stent placement may fail if the duct is small or tortuous, potentially exacerbating the risk. This study assessed the impact of unsuccessful pancreatic stent placement on complications and the efficacy of a modified technique for stent insertion when pancreatic ductal anatomy makes stent insertion technically difficult. METHODS: Technical variables and 30-day complications of consecutive therapeutic ERCPs, including attempted major papilla pancreatic stent insertion were prospectively studied. Success rates for pancreatic stent placement were compared for a 1-year period during which conventional deep guidewire insertion was used and another 1-year period in which a modified technique was used as needed in patients with ductal anatomy that made stent placement technically difficult. In the modified technique, a short (2-3 cm) small diameter (3F-5F) stent was placed over a 0.018-in nitinol-tipped guidewire, passed as little as 1 to 2 cm beyond the pancreatic sphincter. RESULTS: In 225 high-risk therapeutic ERCPs, pancreatitis occurred after the procedure in two of 3 (66.7%) patients in whom pancreatic stent insertion failed vs. 32 of 222 (14.4%) patients with successful insertion (p=0.06). Severe pancreatitis occurred only after unsuccessful stent insertion. Significant multivariate risk factors for post-ERCP pancreatitis were unsuccessful pancreatic stent insertion (odds ratio 16.1: 95% CI[1.3, 200]), sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (odds ratio 3.2: 95% CI[1.4, 7.5]), and prior post-ERCP pancreatitis (odds ratio 3.2: 95% CI[1.4, 7.1]). The following were not risk factors: performance of pancreatic, biliary, or needle-knife pre-cut sphincterotomy; number of pancreatic contrast injections; and difficult cannulation. Stent placement was unsuccessful in 3 (3.2%) of 93 attempts during the 1-year period in which a conventional technique was used vs. none of 132 attempts in a subsequent year in which the modified technique was used. CONCLUSIONS: Failed attempts at pancreatic stent placement are associated with an extremely high risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis. Success can be consistently achieved by use of a modified technique.     

Efficacy of ERCP via the accessory papilla in children with choledochal cysts

BACKGROUND: ERCP via the major duodenal papilla in children with choledochal cyst may not clearly visualize the entire pancreatic duct and the junction of the pancreatic and biliary ducts. This may be caused by obstruction of the pancreatic duct by a dilated common bile duct. METHODS: Patients with choledochal cysts who underwent ERCP with injection of contrast medium at the major duodenal papilla were classified as either belonging to a MP group, in which the entire pancreatic duct and junction of the pancreatic and biliary ducts were visualized, or to a M/AP group, in which these structures were either partially visualized or not visualized. ERCP via the accessory papilla subsequently was performed in the M/AP group by using 0.6- or 0.8-mm metal-tip catheters. The efficacy of ERCP via the accessory papilla in children with choledochal cysts was evaluated. OBSERVATIONS: ERCP was performed in 13 patients. Seven were assigned to the MP group and 6 to the M/AP group. ERCP via the accessory papilla in the M/AP group was successful in 5 of the 6 patients; pancreas divisum was demonstrated in one, a protein plug at the main pancreatic duct in another, and the entire pancreatic duct and junction of the pancreatic and biliary ducts in the remaining 3 patients. No patient developed pancreatitis as a result of ERCP, including ERCP via the accessory papilla. CONCLUSIONS: In children with choledochal cyst, ERCP via the accessory papilla is an effective method for visualization of the detailed structure of the entire pancreatic ductal system and junction of the pancreatic and biliary ducts when ERCP via the major duodenal papilla is unsuccessful.     

Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided drainage for patients with symptomatic obstruction and enlargement of the pancreatic duct

AIM: To evaluate the use of translumenal pancreatography with placement of endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS)-guided drainage of the pancreatic duct.METHODS: This study enrolled all consecutive patients between June 2002 and April 2014 who underwent EUSguided pancreatography and subsequent placement of a drain and had symptomatic retention of fluid in the pancreatic duct after one or more previous unsuccessful attempts at endoscopic retrograde cannulation of the pancreatic duct. In all,94 patients underwent 111 interventions with one of three different approaches:(1) EUS-endoscopic retrograde drainage with a rendezvous technique;(2) EUS-guided drainage of the pancreatic duct; and(3) EUS-guided,internal,antegrade drainage of the pancreatic duct.RESULTS: The mean duration of the interventions was 21 min(range,15-69 min). Mean patient age was 54 years(range,28-87 years); the M:F sex ratio was 60:34. The technical success rate was 100%,achieving puncture of the pancreatic duct including pancreatography in 94/94 patients. In patients requiring drainage,initial placement of a drain wassuccessful in 47/83 patients(56.6%). Of these,26 patients underwent transgastric/transbulbar positioning of a stent for retrograde drainage; plastic prostheses were used in 11 and metal stents in 12. A ring drain(antegrade internal drainage) was placed in three of these 26 patients because of anastomotic stenosis after a previous surgical intervention. The remaining 21 patients with successful drain placement had transpapillary drains using the rendezvous technique; the majority(n = 19) received plastic prostheses,and only two received metal stents(covered self-expanding metal stents). The median follow-up time in the 21 patients with transpapillary drainage was 28 mo(range,1-79 mo),while that of the 26 patients with successful transgastric/transduodenal drainage was 9.5 mo(range,1-82 mo). Clinical success,as indicated by reduced or absence of further pain after the EUS-guided intervention was achieved in 68/83 patients(81.9%),including several who improved without drainage,but with manipulation of the access route.CONCLUSION: EUS-guided drainage of the pancreatic duct is a safe,feasible alternative to endoscopic retrograde drainage when the papilla cannot be reached endoscopically or catheterized.     

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography during pregnancy without radiation

AIM： To present our experience with pregnant patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography （ERCP） without using radiation, and to evaluate the acceptability of this alternative therapeutic pathway for ERCP during pregnancy. METHODS： Between 2000 and 2008, six pregnant women underwent seven ERCP procedures. ERCP was performed under mild sedoanalgesia induced with pethidine HCI and midazolam. The bile duct was cannulated with a guidewire through the papilla. A catheter was slid over the guidewire and bile aspiration and/or visualization of the bile oozing around the guidewire was used to confirm correct cannulation. Following sphincterotomy, the bile duct was cleared by balloon sweeping. When indicated, stents were placed. Confirmation of successful biliary cannulation and stone extraction was made by laboratory, radiological and clinical improvement. Neither fluoroscopy nor spot radiography was used during the procedure. RESULTS： The mean age of the patients was 28 years （range, 21-33 years）. The mean gestational age for the fetus was 23 wk （range, 14-34 wk）. Five patients underwent ERCP because of choledocholithiasis and/or choledocholithiasis-induced acute cholangitis. In one case, a stone was extracted after precut papillotomy with a needle-knife, since the stone was impacted. One patient had ERCP because of persistent biliary fistula after hepatic hydatid disease surgery. Following sphincterotomy, scoleces were removed from the common bile duct. Two weeks later, because of the absence of fistula closure, repeat ERCP was performed and a stent was placed. The fistula was closed after stent placement. Neither post-ERCP complications nor premature birth or abortion was seen. CONCLUSION： Non-radiation ERCP in experienced hands can be performed during pregnancy. Stent placement should be considered in cases for which complete common bile duct clearance is dubious because of a lack of visualization of the biliary tree.     

Endoscopic approach to acute pancreatitis

This review focuses on the use of endoscopic techniques in the diagnosis and management of pancreatic disorders. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has been used primarily to evaluate and treat disorders of the biliary tree. Recently, endoscopic techniques have been adapted for pancreatic sphincterotomy, stenting, stricture dilation, treatment of duct leaks, drainage of fluid collections, and stone extraction via the major and minor papillae. In patients with acute and recurrent pancreatitis, ERCP carries a higher than average risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis. This risk can be reduced with the placement of a prophylactic pancreatic stent. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) can establish the anatomy of the biliary and pancreatic ducts, identify pancreas divisum or pancreatic ductal strictures, depict bile duct stones, and demonstrate pancreatic or biliary duct dilation. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) provides a safer, less invasive, and often more sensitive measure for evaluating the pancreas and biliary tree, and allows some options for therapy. In acute and recurrent pancreatitis, EUS and MRCP can be used to establish a diagnosis; ERCP can be reserved for therapy.     

EUS antegrade pancreatography with gastropancreatic duct stent placement: Review of two cases

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography is an established procedure for palliation of patients with pain caused by chronic pancreatitis associated with pancreatic ductal stricture. Some patients may not be candidates for endoscopic retrograde pancreatography because of surgically altered anatomy. Two cases are presented in which endoscopic retrograde pancreatography was unsuccessful and EUS-guided antegrade pancreatography with gastropancreatic stent placement was performed. METHODS: EUS-guided antegrade pancreatography was performed in both patients by creating a gastropancreatic fistula through which dilation and stent placement were performed over a guidewire. RESULTS: Stent insertion was successful in both cases. Both patients experienced rapid improvement in symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-guided antegrade pancreatography with stent placement may be an alternative to endoscopic retrograde pancreatography when surgical reconstruction precludes access to the major and minor papillae.     

内镜在胰胆管合流异常诊疗中的作用探讨

目的探讨ERCP在胰胆管合流异常中的诊断价值,评估内镜治疗的效果。方法16例胰胆管合流异常（PBM）患者,通过ERCP造影进行PBM分型,结合临床症状,分析引起相关疾病的机制、影像特点,根据合并的其它胰胆疾病,选择适当的内镜取石、扩张或引流等治疗,观察治疗效果。结果16例胰胆管合流异常患者多伴有腹痛、呕吐、黄疸等症状,及转氨酶和／或淀粉酶水平的升高。其中,Ⅰ型（B—P型）7例,Ⅱ型（P—B型）5例,Ⅲ型（复杂型）4例;合并胆总管囊肿扩张10例,无扩张者5例,胆管癌并狭窄1例;伴有胆管结石11例（4例为蛋白栓）、胰管结石2例（1例不伴胆管结石）。9例予内镜下胆管取石,2例胰管取石,术中置入胆道支架引流7例,行鼻胆管引流3例,胰管支架置入5例,胆道金属支架置人1例。术后临床症状均明显缓解。结论ERCP是一种可靠的诊断手段,其分型与PBM相关疾病表现有明显相关,选择性、暂时性的内镜治疗在外科术前是有效的、必要的。     

Endoscopic transpancreatic septotomy as a precutting technique for difficult bile duct cannulation

AIM: To evaluate the technique of transpancreatic septotomy(TS) for cannulating inaccessible common bile ducts in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).METHODS: Between May 2012 and April 2013, 1074 patients were referred to our department for ERCP. We excluded 15 patients with previous Billroth Ⅱ gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y anastomosis, duodenal stenosis, or duodenal papilla tumor. Among 1059 patients who underwent ERCP, there were 163 patients with difficult bile duct cannulation. Pancreatic guidewire or pancreatic duct plastic stent assistance allowed for successful ERCP completion in 94 patients. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 69 failed patients(36 transpancreatic septotomies and 33 needle-knife sphincterotomies). RESULTS: Of the 69 patients who underwent precut papillotomy, common bile duct cannulation was successfully achieved in 67. The success rates in the TS and needle knife sphincterotomy(NKS) groups were 97.2%(35/36) and 96.9%(32/33), respectively, which were not significantly different(P 0.05). Complications occurred in 11 cases, including acute pancreatitis(n = 6), bleeding(n = 2), and cholangitis(n = 3). The total frequency of complications in the TS group was lower than that in the NKS group(8.3% vs 24.2%, P 0.05).CONCLUSION: Pancreatic guidewire or pancreatic duct plastic stent assistance improves the success rate of selective bile duct cannulation in ERCP. TS and NKS markedly improve the success rate of selective bile duct cannulation in ERCP. TS precut is safer as compared with NKS.     

Endoscopic ultrasound and percutaneous access for endoscopic biliary and pancreatic drainage after initially failed ERCP

Although the success rates of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in accessing the bile and pancreatic ducts are quite high, failure to achieve duct access still occurs. Options in these cases have traditionally included percutaneous access or open surgical intervention. A combination percutaneous and endoscopic approach (ie, rendezvous procedure) is often used in cases of failed biliary cannulation by ERCP and occasionally for pancreatic duct access. However, this technique often results in complications and is hampered by the difficulty in coordinating schedules between interventional radiologists and endoscopists and the lack of predictability of failed ERCP access. Several groups have described the use of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in accessing the ducts in cases of failed ERCP. This technique has the potential to substantially reduce the need for a percutaneous or surgical approach in many cases. This article reviews the nonsurgical methods for accessing the biliary and pancreatic ducts after failure of ERCP as well as the current status and possible future applications of EUS-assisted drainage techniques.     

Advances in Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Biliary Drainage: A Comprehensive Review

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has become the first-line therapy for bile duct drainage. In the hands of experienced endoscopists, conventional ERCP results in a failed cannulation rate of 3% to 5%. This failure can occur more commonly in the setting of altered anatomy or technically difficult cases due to either duodenal or biliary obstruction. In cases of ERCP failure, patients have traditionally been referred for either percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) or surgery. However, both PTBD and surgery have higher than desirable complication rates. Within the last decade, endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has become an attractive alternative to PTBD after failed ERCP. Many groups have reported on the feasibility, efficacy and safety of this technique. This article reviews the indications for ERCP and the currently practiced EUS-BD techniques, including EUS-guided rendezvous, EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy and EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy.     

Endoscopic treatment for biliary stricture secondary to chronic pancreatitis

The causes of benign biliary stricture include chronic pancreatitis, primary/immunoglobulin G4-related sclerosing cholangitis and complications of surgical procedures. Biliary stricture due to fibrosis as a result of inflammation is sometimes encountered in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Frey's procedure, which can provide pancreatic duct drainage with decompression of biliary stricture, can be an initial treatment for chronic pancreatitis with pancreatic and bile duct strictures with upstream dilation. When patients are high-risk surgical candidates or hesitate to undergo surgery, endoscopic treatment appears to be a potential second-line therapy. Placement of multiple plastic stents is currently considered to be the best choice as endoscopic treatment for biliary stricture due to chronic pancreatitis. Temporary placement with a fully covered metal stent has become an attractive option due to the lesser number of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) sessions and its large diameter. Further clinical trials comparing multiple placement of plastic stents with placement of a covered metal stent for biliary stricture secondary to chronic pancreatitis are awaited.