Incidence of post-endoscopic retrograde-cholangiopancreatography/sphincterotomy pancreatitis depends upon definition criteria.

BACKGROUND

The reported incidence of post-endoscopic retrograde-cholangiopancreatography/sphincterotomy pancreatitis ranges between 1.3% and 12.8%. This may likely reflect different definitions of pancreatitis and methods of data collection, rather than differences in patient populations, indications and endoscopic expertise.

AIMS

The present study evaluated the incidence of post-endoscopic retrograde-cholangiopancreatography/sphincterotomy pancreatitis using different definition criteria and different data collection methods.

PATIENTS

The 24-hour clinical and enzymatic course of 1185 procedures was recorded.

METHODS

Pancreatic-like pain and hyperamylasaemia were evaluated either 6 to 8 hours or 24 hours after the procedure; computed tomography scan was performed in those patients with 24-hour pancreatic pain associated with hyperamylasaemia more than three times the upper normal limit. Results. Computed tomography scan findings consistent with pancreatitis were observed in 1.9% of cases, only among those patients with 24-hour pancreatic-like pain and hyperamylasaemia over five times the upper normal limit. The 6-8-hour and 24-hour pancreatic-like pain was associated with serum amylase levels at least three times higher in 11.7% and 6.6% and five times higher or more in 7.4% and 5.1%, respectively; 6-8 and 24-hour hyperamylasaemia higher than five times the upper normal limit, irrespective of pancreatic-like pain, was reported in 8.3% and in 6.9% of cases. No patients with serum amylase values lower than three times the upper normal limit had clinical symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of post-procedure pancreatitis ranged from 1.9% to 11.7% depending on the definition criteria adopted.