Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography under general anesthesia: indications and results.

BACKGROUND: Conscious sedation is usually used during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Little is known about the indications and outcomes for ERCP in patients who cannot undergo conscious sedation and therefore require general anesthesia. We retrospectively evaluated the indications and outcome for patients undergoing ERCP who required general anesthesia at four teaching hospitals over a 2-year period. METHODS: Of 1200 ERCPs performed over a 2-year period, 65 patients required general anesthesia. Retrospective chart analysis was undertaken to determine indications and outcomes of ERCP performed under general anesthesia. Eleven patients underwent sphincter of Oddi manometry. RESULTS: The major indication for general anesthesia was substance abuse. Therapeutic intervention was successful in 45 of 48 patients; 6 of the 63 patients had complications, all mild and not related to the anesthesia. Sphincter of Oddi manometry was normal in 7 patients; 4 patients had elevated basal pressures. CONCLUSIONS: ERCP under general anesthesia may be considered when conscious sedation fails to achieve a satisfactory level of sedation for a successful and safe ERCP. Procedure-related complication rates appear to be comparable if not lower with general anesthesia.

Gastrointestinal angiodysplasia.

Angiodysplasia of the gastrointestinal tract is common in the population 60 years of age and older and may be the cause of acute and/or chronic bleeding. Colonic angiodysplastic lesions are presumed to be degenerative in nature, secondary to either intermittent obstruction of the submucosal veins or hypoxemia. The pathogenesis of upper intestinal angiodysplasia is most likely related to a degenerative process. The clinical presentation varies from an incidental finding in an otherwise asymptomatic person to occult bleeding or an acute massive hemorrhage. Endoscopy and angiography are useful diagnostic modalities. Management options include surgery, endoscopic obliteration, or angiographic embolization of an identified bleeding angiodysplastic lesion(s). In a subset of patients who have angiodysplasia associated with Osler-Rendu-Weber disease or chronic renal failure, hormonal therapy with estrogen-progesterone may be efficacious.

Nasopancreatic drainage: a novel approach for treating internal pancreatic fistulas and pseudocysts.

Internal pancreatic fistulas are rare but debilitating complications of chronic pancreatitis. Fistulous tracts from the pancreatic duct to the peritoneal or pleural cavities have been treated by medical therapy and surgical management, with success rates of 41% and 89%, respectively. Endoscopic stent placement for internal and external pancreatic fistulas has also been shown effective. We report on three patients with histories of chronic alcohol abuse and pancreatitis. Two patients presented with dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain. Imaging studies revealed pleural effusions, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) demonstrated a patent fistulous tract from the pancreatic duct to the pleural cavity in each patient. Chemical analysis of the pleural fluid indicated pancreatic origin. The third patient, who had left-upper-quadrant abdominal pain and a small pleural effusion, had a large noncommunicating pseudocyst adjacent to the stomach. Nasopancreatic drains, along with chest tube drainage, were placed in the patients with pancreatic pleural fistulas. The patient with the pseudocyst received nasocystic drainage via the stomach. Drainage was measured until closure of the fistulas or cyst. Additionally, simply by injecting contrast medium, we were able to monitor the closure of fistulas without ERCP. The fistulas closed within 7 days, and the pseudocyst resolved within 14 days. Following discharge, all three patients were pain free, without evidence of recurrent fistulas or pseudocyst. In conclusion, the use of nasopancreatic/cyst drainage is an effective and convenient way to treat internal, communicating collections and pseudocysts of pancreatic origin. Furthermore, this method provides a simple means of assessing closure of fistulas and pseudocysts.