THE ROLE OF PANCREATIC STENTING IN OBSTRUCTIVE DUCTAL DISORDERS OTHERTHAN PANCREAS DIVISUM

Pancreatic ductal strictures may lead to pancreatitis, with associated pain and nausea. Very little literature is available regarding stent placement for this problem; the efficacy of stenting, expected stent v iability, and safety of the procedure require further study. In this s eries, 21 patients with pancreatic ductal strictures underwent a total of 42 ERCPs with pancreatic stent placement. Eighty-six percent of pa tients experienced significant improvement in their symptom score afte r at least 1 session; however, relief was usually not evident until da y 7. Stent viability averaged 26.9 days, but it was significantly long er for patients with pancreatic cancer. Overall, pancreatic ductal ste nting can relieve symptoms of pain and nausea, but relief is usually s hort-lived. It may be useful only for short-term therapeutic trials an d to provide temporary relief in highly selected cases.