Importance of common bile duct stricture associated with chronic pancreatitis. Diagnosis by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Twenty-one patients with common bile duct strictures associated with chronic pancreatitis are described in whom ERCP was the principal diagnostic method used. In 5 of the 11 patients who had had previous pancreatic or biliary surgery, a common bile duct stricture was overlooked. Nine patients had one or more attacks of cholangitis which were severe in seven and caused death in one. Endoscopically aspirated bile cultures showed heavy gram-negative infection in four patients with previous cholangitis. Two patients developed stones above the strictures, and in one this led to obstruction of a previous cholecystjejunostomy. Although strictures may be discovered at an asymptomatic stage, there should be careful follow-up to detect the appearance of any symptoms or objective signs of stricture progression, when surgery should be offered without delay. Direct biliary-enteric anastomosis is the procedure of choice when possible to relieve symptoms and prevent the potentially life-threatening complications of cholangitis and septicemia.