[Importance of endoscopy and endosonography for chronic pancreatitis and benign pancreas tumors].

Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) are superior to cross-sectional imaging procedures for detection of low-grade pancreatitis, but detection of duct alterations is more reliable by middle and high-grade chronic pancreatitis than by low-grade. In addition to assessment of alterations in the pancreatic duct, EUS also allows detection of parenchymatous alterations. Because of the risk of post-ERP pancreatitis, ERP has been mostly eliminated from diagnostic procedures. In contrast, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) allows an unrivalled access to interventional treatment of inflammatory alterations of the biliopancreatic duct system, by retrograde, non-penetrable papillae even in the rendezvous procedure with EUS-assisted probing of the Ductus Wirsungianus. Despite the technical success of endoscopic procedures, surgical duct decompression has proven to be superior for relief from pancreatitic pain. Biliary drainage is also more likely to be successful on a permanent basis using surgical procedures than by repeat multi-stenting, at least by calcifying pancreatitis. Peroral transgastral transmural therapy of postpancreatitic necroses opens up further options over surgical removal of necroses.