Endoscopic sphincterotomy in patients with "acalculus" cholangitis associated with juxtapapillary diverticula.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate patients who underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy for "acalculus" cholangitis associated with juxtapapillary diverticula.


METHODS
In a retrospective study we analyzed 87 patients who underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy for cholangitis; the cholangitis considered "acalculus", when outlining the extra- and intrahepatic bile ducts, we could not observe any intraluminal defect or stricture, and during the clearing of the bile ducts with the balloon, after endoscopic sphincterotomy, there was no evidence of stones, fragments of stones or sludge. Patients who had undergone previous endoscopic sphincterotomy, or who had additional pancreatobiliary diseases were excluded from this study. There were 11 patients with "acalculus" cholangitis associated with juxtapapillary diverticula, and sufficient clinical data available for this study.


RESULTS
Nine patients presented pain, fever, and jaundice. In two patients diagnosis was established via the test of abnormal liver biochemistry. Seven patients had positive blood cultures and three of them developed confusion and hypotension. Endoscopic sphincterotomy succeeded in all cases; no evidence of stones, fragments of stones or sludge was recorded during the clearing of bile ducts, after endoscopic sphincterotomy, with the balloon. Five patients presented mild post-endoscopic sphincterotomy complications successfully treated. In the follow-up period, from 4 months to 7 years after endoscopic sphincterotomy, none of the patients developed symptoms of cholangitis.


CONCLUSIONS
We recommend endoscopic sphincterotomy in patients with "acalculus" cholangitis associated with juxtapapillary diverticula, despite the absence of obvious obstruction, and the possible morbidity which is inherent with an invasive procedure like endoscopic sphincterotomy.
Katsinelos
Panagiotis
P
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotelion University, Ippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Dimiropoulos
Stavros
S
Pilpilidis
Ioannis
I
Galanis
Ioannis
I
Tsolkas
Panagiotis
P
Papagiannis
Andreas
A
Paroutoglou
George
G
Giouleme
Olga
O
Kamperis
Eusthathios
E
Vasiliadis
Ioannis
I
Eugenidis
Nikos
N
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014670:Ampulla of Vater; D002761:Cholangitis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D003137:Common Bile Duct Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D004240:Diverticulum / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016717:Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic