Stent-stone Complex Developed after Long-term Plastic Biliary Stent Placement / 대한췌담도학회지

ABSTRACT

Plastic biliary stents are commonly used during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Main indication for biliary stenting is benign or malignant obstruction. Plastic stents can be used as an escape route in patients with large common bile duct stones to provide drainage until definitive treatment. But, stent occlusion is the main disadvantage, limiting their patency to around 3 months, after which replacement is recommended. A biliary stent can act as a nidus for the biliary stone formation leading to stent-stone complex after long-term stent placement. This report was a case of a large stent-stone complex after plastic stent placement for 4 years. The stent-stone complex was successfully removed by mechanical lithotripsy and ballon catheter. In all other cases where plastic stents are placed into the common bile duct we should keep in mind that stents can act as nidus for stone formation, as all foreign bodies do.