Brief Article
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 28, 2010; 16(4): 490-495
Published online Jan 28, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i4.490
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in pancreatic and biliary tract disease in Korean children
Joo Young Jang, Chong Hyun Yoon, Kyung Mo Kim
Joo Young Jang, Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center Children’s Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, South Korea; Department of Pediatrics, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon 443-721, South Korea
Chong Hyun Yoon, Department of Pediatric Radiology, Asan Medical Center Children’s Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, South Korea
Kyung Mo Kim, Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center Children’s Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, South Korea
Author contributions: Jang JY analyzed the data and wrote the paper; Kim KM designed the study, analyzed the data, wrote the paper, and performed the ERCP; Yoon CH provided the radiologic interpretation and confirmation of the results of ERCP.
Correspondence to: Kyung Mo Kim, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center Children’s Hospital, University of Ulsan, 388-1 Pungnap-Dong, Songpa-Gu, Seoul 138-736, South Korea. kmkim@amc.seoul.kr
Telephone: +82-2-30103380  Fax: +82-2-4733725
Received: September 15, 2009
Revised: November 20, 2009
Accepted: November 27, 2009
Published online: January 28, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To assess the indications, findings, therapeutic procedures, safety, and complications of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) performed in Korean children.

METHODS: The demographic characteristics, indications for ERCP, findings, therapeutic procedures, and complications of 122 pediatric patients who underwent 245 ERCPs in the Asan Medical Center between June 1994 and March 2008 were investigated.

RESULTS: The mean age of the 122 patients was 8.0 ± 4.2 years. Indications were biliary pathology in 78 (64.0%), pancreatic pathology in 43 (35.2%), and chronic abdominal pain in one. Biliary indications included choledochal cysts in 40, choledocholithiasis in 24, suspected sclerosing cholangitis in 8, trauma in 2, and other conditions in 4. Pancreatic indications included acute pancreatitis in 7, acute recurrent pancreatitis in 11, chronic pancreatitis in 20, trauma in 3, and pancreatic mass in 2. Of the 245 ERCPs, success rate was 98.4% and 190 (77.6%) were for therapeutic purposes, including endoscopic nasal drainage (51.8%), biliary sphincterotomy (38.0%), pancreatic sphincterotomy (23.3%), stent insertion (15.1%), stone extraction (18.8%), and balloon dilatation (11.0%). Complications were post-ERCP pancreatitis in 16 (6.5%), ileus in 23 (9.4%), hemorrhage in 2 (0.8%), perforation in 2 (0.8%), sepsis in 1 (0.4%), and impacted basket in 1 (0.4%). There were no procedure-related deaths, and most complications improved under supportive care.

CONCLUSION: This study showed that there is a high incidence of choledochal cyst and diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP for the management of various biliary and pancreatic diseases was safe and effective in Korean children.

Keywords: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, Pancreatic diseases, Biliary tract diseases, Choledochal cyst, Pancreatitis, Pediatrics