ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Impacted papillary stone (IPS) may lead to complete biliary obstruction and acute cholangitis. We evaluated clinical characteristics and endoscopic findings of IPS. METHODS: Data were obtained from patient recordings, radiologic and endoscopic reports in 14 patients. RESULTS: All patients had severe epigastric pain, but only 3 patients showed typical presentation of acute cholangitis. Radiologically, IPS was not found in 6 patients, but subsequently found as be a single IPS (n=5) and sandy stones filled in the bile duct and gallbladder (n=1). All patients showed a bulging and swollen papilla. Patients (n=9) without peripapillary diverticulum, or with extradiverticular papilla showed more posteriorly displaced papillary orifice and more frequent mucosal changes compared with patients (n=5) with intradiverticular papilla or juxtapapillary diverticulum. The stones were completely removed in 11 patients endoscopically, and the remainders, who had intradiverticular papilla, underwent surgical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: To predict IPS, clinical assessment is very important because the only characteristic manifestation is severe epigastric pain and radiological studies seem to be occasionally insufficient for detecting IPS. The characteristic endoscopic findings of IPS are bulging and swollen papillae with posterioriy displaced orifice and frequent mucosal changes, which may be influenced by presence or absence, and types of peripapillary diverticulum.