Transpapillary miniscopy and mini-biopsy of the pancreatic duct.

This paper reports on the new combined examination of peroral transpapillary fine-caliber endoscopy (miniscope 0.5 mm in diameter) with mini-biopsy of the pancreatic duct in 10 patients and 19 surgical pancreas resection preparations. With this technique, endoscopic-retrograde inspection of the whole length of the pancreatic duct is possible without the need for papillotomy. In the case of pancreatic duct changes due to carcinoma of the pancreas, and chronic pancreatitis, the ductal lesions can be inspected. Furthermore, with the aid of a new mini-biopsy forceps (1.5 mm in diameter), material for histological evaluation can be much more efficiently obtained than was normally possible with conventional biopsy forceps (2.2 mm). This new endoscopic-bioptic technique promises to improve the diagnostic reliability in pancreatic duct lesions requiring clarification.