Endoscopic therapy in anomalous pancreatobiliary duct junction.

BACKGROUND: Anomalous pancreaticobiliary duct junction is associated with bile duct strictures, pancreatitis, choledochal cysts, and biliary carcinoma. Limited data are available for outcomes of endoscopic therapy.
METHODS: Review of 7537 patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography from 1988 to 1997 yielded 18 patients with anomalous pancreaticobiliary duct junction. Therapeutic responses were tallied by chart review and phone calls.
RESULTS: There were 13 women and 5 men, with a mean age of 36 years. Twelve patients had no ductographic evidence of pancreatitis and 6 had chronic pancreatitis. Seven had choledochal cysts. Fifteen patients (83%) underwent endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy, two of whom underwent repeat endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy for recurrence of symptoms. The other therapies included stent placement for benign biliary strictures in 5 patients, lithotripsy of pancreatic stones in 1 patient, and choledochal cyst removal in 4 patients. Three cases with malignant biliary strictures are excluded from endoscopic outcome studies. The 12 patients with pancreatitis had a mean of 2.0 episodes per year before any treatment. After endoscopic therapy 7 patients had no further episodes of pancreatitis, whereas 5 patients had further episodes, with a mean of one additional attack per year, over 3 years mean follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with anomalous pancreaticobiliary duct junction have complex pathology associated with strictures, choledochal cysts, pancreatitis, and malignancies. Endoscopic therapy appeared to benefit 13 of 15 patients without malignant disease with elimination of or decreased frequency of pancreatitis. Endoscopic therapy appears to be a logical first step in the management of most symptomatic patients with anomalous pancreaticobiliary duct junction.