Pancreatic duct obstruction treated with percutaneous antegrade insertion of a metal stent: report of two cases.

Expanding metal stents were used to treat symptomatic pancreatic duct obstruction in two patients with chronic pancreatitis. Both patients initially underwent percutaneous external pancreatic duct drainage and then had metal stents inserted for internal drainage. Both patients remained asymptomatic, and the stents were patent during short-term follow-up periods of 6 and 9 months, respectively. Percutaneous insertion of metal stents, which can be performed to treat pancreatic duct obstruction after a trial of external drainage has been shown to relieve the patient's symptoms, should be considered as an alternative to endoscopic stent placement or surgical drainage.