Análisis de endoscopías en las vías biliares efectuadas en el Hospital Santo Tomás / An analysis of the endoscopies of the biliary tract performed at the Hospital Santo Tomás

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed in 146 patients, 93 female and 53 male from 10 to 90 years of age. The patients were referred because it was deemed that it was necessary to perform the procedure to establish or confirm the clinical diagnosis (suspected choledocholithiasis, icterus or abdominal pain of undetermined etiology, pancreatitis or obstruction of prosthesis) and to perform cholangiography and pancreatography, papillotomy, extraction of calculi and placement of biliary prosthesis, as indicated. It was shown that the clinical picture was due to choledocholithiasis in the majority of patients. Stenosis due to inflammatory changes or to tumor were much less frequent. In few patients, there was biliary external fistula, distortion of intrahepatic ducts, cancer of the pancreas or sclerosing cholangitis. Chronic pancreatitis, choledochal granuloma or adenoma, or displacement of a T tube were found occasionally. There were few complications (cholangitis, pancreatitis and hyperamylasemia) and no mortality associated with the procedure

Helicobacter pylori en el Hospital Santo Tomás / Helicobacter pylori at Hospital Santo Tomás

We studied the incidence of infection with Helicobacter pylori in Panamanians with chronic dyspepsia, gastric or duodenal ulcer, gastritis or gastric cancer. The histopathology was positive in 54 (81%) of 66 patients; the urea test was positive in 52 (82.5%) of 63 cases; the impromptu was positive in 51 (79.6) of 64 patients; the endoscopic examination was positive in 64 (82.9%) of 77 examinations