A systematic review of the management and outcome of ERCP related duodenal perforations using a standardized classification system.

Introduction: The incidence of duodenal perforation after ERCP ranges from 0.09% to 1.67% and mortality up to 8%.

Methods: This systematic review was registered in Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, PROSPERO. Stapfer classification of ERCP-related duodenal perforations was used.

Results: The systematic search yielded 259 articles. Most frequent post-ERCP perforation was Stapfer type II (58.4%), type I second most frequent perforation (17.8%) followed by Stapfer type III in 13.2% and type IV in 10.6%. Rate of NOM was lowest in Stapfer type I perforations (13%), moderate in type III lesions (58.1%) and high in other types of perforations (84.2% in type II and 84.6% in IV). In patients underwent early surgical treatment (<24 h from ERCP) the most frequent operation was simple duodenal suture with or without omentopexy (93.7%). In patients undergoing late surgical treatment (>24 h from ERCP) interventions performed were more complex. In type I lesions post-operative mortality rate was higher in patients underwent late operation (>24 h). In type I lesions, failure of NOM occurred in 42.8% of patients. In type II failure of NOM occurred in 28.9% of patients and in type III there was failure of NOM in only 11.1%, none in type IV. Postoperative mortality after NOM failure was 75% in type I, 22.5% in type II and none died after surgical treatment for failure of NOM in type III perforations.

Conclusions: This systematic review showed that in patients with Stapfer type I lesions, early surgical treatment gives better results, however the opposite seems true in Stapfer III and IV lesions.