Detection of bacterial infection of the pancreatic ducts in patients with pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer during endoscopic cannulation of the pancreatic duct.

Bacterial infections of the pancreas and bacteremia may occur during episodes of pancreatitis. Detection of bacterial infections of the pancreas in the past has required laparotomy. The present study was undertaken to determine whether bacterial infection of the pancreas occurred during nonsuppurative pancreatitis. During endoscopic cannulation of the main pancreatic duct, secretin was administered intravenously and pancreatic juice aspirated from within the duct was cultured. Bacterial infections were detected in 11 of 35 patients with pancreatitis and 3 of 5 with pancreatic cancer. The pancreatic juice was sterile in 25 controls. Cultures from the common bile duct in 9 controls were also sterile whereas 4 of 6 with pancreatitis showed infected bile. The infecting organisms were principally gram-negative and the infections were usually polymicrobial. Antibiotics, where used, successfully eradicated the infecting organisms but did not appear to affect the patient's clinical course.