Dilation of high-grade pancreatic and biliary ductal strictures with small-caliber angioplasty balloons.
BACKGROUND
Pancreatic and bile duct strictures may be too stenotic to allow passage of conventional endoscopic dilators.


METHODS
Four patients with strictures (3 pancreatic, 1 biliary) that could not be traversed with conventional endoscopic dilating devices, or in 1 case by a Soehendra stent extractor, underwent stricture dilation with a 3.3F peripheral angioplasty balloon to a maximum diameter of 6 mm.


METHODS
All strictures in the 4 patients were successfully traversed and dilated and stents were placed with resolution of the presenting clinical problem.


CONCLUSIONS
Small-caliber angioplasty balloons are useful for dilation with subsequent stent placement of pancreatic and biliary strictures that are refractory to standard endoscopic approaches.
Freeman
M L
ML
Division of Gastroenterology, Hennepin County Medical Center, and the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415, USA.
Cass
O W
OW
Dailey
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015209:Cholangitis, Sclerosing / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D001651:Cholestasis, Extrahepatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D004106:Dilatation / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006500:Hepatic Duct, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*