THE ROLE OF ENDOSCOPIC RETROGRADE CHOLANGIOPANCREATOGRAPHY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CHOLEDOCHAL CYSTS IN CHILDREN

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed in eight consecutively treated patients with choledochal cyst to assess its technical feasibility and complications. Satisfactory visualizatio n of the complete anatomy of the biliary tract was possible in seven p atients. Four patients had a type IV choledochal cyst and three had ty pe I. In one patient, the procedure showed a congenital web in the low er end of the common bile duct; in another, there was complete membran ous block of the lower end of the com mon bile duct, The findings of E RCP and intraoperative cholangiography were concordant for six patient s. Only one patient had exacerbation of preexisting cholangitis. The a uthors conclude that ERCP is an essential investigative method in the management of choledochal cysts in children. Copyright (C) 1995 by W.B . Saunders Company