[Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients aged less than 18 years old: our experience].

Background: There is scant information on the use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients under 18.

Objective: To analyze our experience in all patients under 18 who underwent ERCP.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective study of all ERCP conducted in patients under 18 between 1993 and 2006. We analyzed indications, endoscopic and radiologic findings, diagnostic and therapeutic success, and complications.

Results: We included 31 patients who underwent 36 ERCP in total. The mean age was 9.89 +/- 5 years old. We used general anesthesia in 58.3% (21 patients), with a mean age of 8 +/- 5 years. The most frequent indications were complications after liver transplantation in 33.3% (12 patients), suspicion of biliary obstruction in 27.7% (10 patients), and pancreatitis in 22.2% (8 patients). We achieved cannulation and repletion in the selected duct in 94.4%. The most frequent pathologic findings were changes in the biliary tract after liver transplantation in 25% (9 patients). The results of ERCP were normal in 10 patients (27.7%). Therapeutic maneuvers were indicated in 17 out of the 34 (50%) examinations considered, achieving therapeutic success in 76.47% (13/17). Complications consisted of hemorrhage after simple sphincterotomy in one patient (2.8%) and mild pancreatitis in two patients (5.6%).

Conclusions: We found ERCP to be a safe procedure with a high diagnostic and therapeutic success rate, and a low rate of early complications.