Background: The unique clinical role of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in diagnosing and treating biliary tree diseases cannot be completely replaced by other modern imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. However, post-ERCP pancreatitis is one of the most common and life-threatening complications. Prophylactic medication in the prevention of pancreatitis during ERCP is still controversial. The objective of the present study was to investigate the role of different regimens of somatostatin in the prevention of acute pancreatitis after ERCP and analyze the risk factors contributing to post-ERCP complications.
Methods: From July 1999 to September 2000, 133 patients with benign biliary disease who received ERCP for diagnosis or treatment were enrolled. Group A patients received a bolus of somatostatin infusion before ERCP, followed by continuous infusion for 12 hours. Group B patients received a bolus of somatostatin before ERCP only, and group C patients were the controls who did not receive somatostatin treatment. Serum amylase levels before and 24 hours after ERCP, and abdominal pain were recorded.
Results: There were no significant differences in bile duct and pancreatic duct visualization, ratio of diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP, procedure time, post-procedural hyperamylasemia and pancreatitis among the 3 groups. For patients with visualization of the pancreatic duct, the incidences of hyperamylasemia (serum amylase > or = 220 U/L) were higher than in patients without visualization of the pancreatic duct (p < 0.001). All 6 patients with post-ERCP pancreatitis had pancreatic duct visualization, and recovered after conservative treatment.
Conclusion: Continuous infusion of somatostatin after ERCP does not seem to be helpful in the prevention of pancreatic complications after ERCP. Pancreatic duct visualization is a risk factor for pancreatic complications.