Pancreatogram changes in patients with calculous biliary disease.

A successful pancreatogram was obtained at endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in 53 patients with calculous biliary disease. Twenty-eight patients presented with jaundice and 25 with pain. In both groups there was a high incidence of pancreatogram abnormalities (47 and 48 per cent respectively). These findings demonstrate that the pancreas is often abnormal in the presence of complicated calculous biliary disease even though there may be no recent clinical evidence of pancreatitis and suggest that asymptomatic chronic pancreatitis may be common. The clinical significance of the abnormalities is discussed.