ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: To define how and when patients with mild acute biliary pancreatitis must have their biliary tree investigated. METHODOLOGY: We analyzed 48 patients' files with mild biliary pancreatitis between 1995 and 2004. After clinical treatment, magnetic resonance or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and then surgery was performed. Statistical data were analyzed through SPSS version 11.0. RESULTS: Of the 48 patients, 13 (27%) patients had choledocholithiasis. Five of these (38%) were diagnosed and treated by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and 8 (62%) patients had choledocholithiasis at magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. These 8 patients underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography which found common bile duct stones in only 4 (50%) of them that were treated successfully with papillotomy. All patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy at the same hospital stay with a low morbidity and no mortality. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that patients with mild biliary pancreatitis should have their biliary tree investigated just after clinical recovery and as close as possible to the operation because many gallstones pass spontaneously through the papillae. We believe that magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography can avoid an unnecessary endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.
