Preservation of papillary relaxation after endoscopic papillary balloon dilation.
OBJECTIVE
Endoscopic papillary balloon dilation has been accepted as a less hazardous alternative to endoscopic sphincterotomy for removal of bile duct stones in patients with impaired hemostasis. Several manometric studies have suggested that endoscopic papillary balloon dilation can be expected to preserve papillary function. However, the aspect of the preservation of postprandial relaxation has not been addressed.


METHODS
Seven, 7 and 6 patients underwent fatty-meal magnetic resonance cholangiography before endoscopic papillary balloon dilation for the treatment of common bile duct stones, and then 12 and 24 months after the procedure. Seven patients were employed as controls. Magnetic resonance cholangiography images were obtained on a 1.5-Tesla scanner (Signa Horizon, GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI) with a phased-array torso coil. After an overnight fast, magnetic resonance cholangiography was performed before and after fatty-meal ingestion.


RESULTS
No patients showed significant postprandial increase of the bile duct diameter except one patient with stone impaction during the examination.


CONCLUSIONS
Endoscopic papillary balloon dilation may preserve the papillary function of postprandial relaxation.
Kondo
Shintaro
S
Department of Gastroenterology University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan. shintaro1972jp@yahoo.co.jp
Yamamoto
Natsuyo
N
Nakai
Yousuke
Y
Sasahira
Naoki
N
Hirano
Kenji
K
Tsujino
Takeshi
T
Isayama
Hiroyuki
H
Toda
Nobuo
N
Komatsu
Yutaka
Y
Tada
Minoru
M
Yoshida
Haruhiko
H
Kawabe
Takao
T
Otomo
Kuni
K
Omata
Masao
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014670:Ampulla of Vater / Q000473:pathology; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance; D003135:Common Bile Duct / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D016717:Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic / Q000379:methods*