[The diagnostic and therapeutic unity of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with a diagnosis of choledocholithiasis and its complications].

Reviewing the records of 60 patients admitted with clinical diagnosis of common duct stone, we demonstrated that the symptoms and the biochemical liver tests were predictive of choledocholithiasis only 50% of the time. The sensitivity for the ultrasound was 42%. The ERCP diagnosed pancreatic or biliary pathology in over 90% of the patients. Through endoscopic sphincterotomy, the ERCP prevented the surgical exploration of the common bile duct in 93% of the patients, and did not aggravate the clinical picture in the group with acute pancreatitis. The sequence of ERCP--laparoscopic cholecystectomy decreased the hospital days and has emerged as the treatment of choice for the patients with cholelithiasis and suspected common duct stone.