Endoscopic treatment of sphincterotomy-associated distal common bile duct strictures by using sequential insertion of multiple plastic stents.

Background: A rare, late complication of endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy is the occurrence of short strictures extending from the papillary orifice to the distal parts of the extraduodenal common bile duct.

Methods: We evaluated the efficacy of the sequential insertion of multiple stents in the treatment of endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy associated common bile duct strictures. The design of the study is a prospective, single-arm observational study at a university-affiliated teaching hospital of 20 patients with distal common bile duct strictures because of choledocholithiasis-related endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy.

Autoimmune pancreatitis associated with immune-mediated inflammation of the papilla of Vater: report on two cases.

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is defined histologically by periductal and interacinar lymphocytic infiltration. Immunohistochemically, the majority of these lymphocytes are identified as T cells. Epithelial HLA-DR antigen expression was also described as a marker of autoimmunity in this type of chronic pancreatitis.

Medium-term results of endoscopic treatment of common bile duct strictures in chronic calcifying pancreatitis with increasing numbers of stents.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate our medium-term results on common bile duct stenting with increasing numbers of stents on strictures due to chronic calcifying pancreatitis.

Background: Common bile duct strictures frequently complicate the course of chronic calcifying pancreatitis. The effectiveness of endoscopic stenting to resolve definitely these strictures is still debated.