Endotherapy in pediatric pancreatitis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Some children with acute recurrent and chronic pancreatitis stand to benefit from therapeutic endoscopic interventions. The purpose of this review is to summarize specific endoscopic therapies used for these conditions and highlight areas of future research.

RECENT FINDINGS

Multicenter collaboration and consortium efforts have provided more data now than ever on the technical outcomes and safety of therapeutic endoscopic procedures for pancreatitis in children. Indications are growing but more research is needed to help guide patient selection.

SUMMARY

Advanced endoscopic procedures including endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, endoscopic-ultrasound guided therapies, and single-operator pancreatoscopy may be used in patients with acute recurrent or chronic pancreatitis to manage pancreatic duct obstruction or local complications including pseudocysts and walled-off necrosis. Patient and procedural factors differ between adults and children. Access to these procedures for younger children is growing, and technical outcomes and adverse event rates appear similar between adults and children.