STENT-INDUCED PANCREATIC DUCTAL AND PARENCHYMAL CHANGES - CORRELATIONOF ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND WITH ERCP

Background: Polyethylene pancreatic duct stents induce morphologic cha nges of the pancreatic duct in the majority of patients. This study wa s undertaken to determine if parenchymal abnormalities are present in patients undergoing short-term pancreatic duct stenting and to correla te these findings with the pancreatogram obtained at stent removal. Me thods: Twenty-five patients underwent pancreatic duct stenting and had an endoscopic ultrasound evaluation of the pancreas at stent removal. The pancreatograms were evaluated at stent removal for ductal irregul arity, narrowing, and side branch changes. Endoscopic ultrasound was u sed to assess for differences in the echo characteristics of the pancr eatic parenchyma around the stent compared with the rest of the gland. Results: Of the 16 patients evaluated by ERCP at stent removal, 9 (56 %) had 1 or more new ductographic changes. Endoscopic ultrasound ident ified parenchymal changes in the stented region in 17 of 25 patients ( 68%). Four patients who had parenchymal changes in the stented region on endoscopic ultrasound at stent removal had a follow-up study at a m ean time of 16 months. Two patients had (new) changes suggestive of fo cal chronic pancreatitis in the stented region. Conclusion: Short-term pancreatic duct stenting induced both ductal and parenchymal changes in more than 50% of patients. Chronic pancreatitis may be a consequenc e of pancreatic duct stenting.