Common bile duct stenosis in complicated chronic pancreatitis

Common bile duct stenosis (CBDS) is one of the most frequent and serious complications in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Due to improved diagnostic tools, the frequency of CBDS seems to occur more frequently, nevertheless the prevalence varies widely because of different selection criteria.

Between April 1982 and October 1996, 323 patients with chronic pancreatitis and inflammatory mass in the head of the pancreas (IMH) (286 patients) or CBDS alone (37 patients) were operated. Patients' data including US, CT, ERCP, endocrine and exocrine function tests were documented prospectively. Dividing patients into groups with and without CBDS, clinical data were comparable concerning distribution of sex, age, etiology of the disease and clinical feature.

Regarding the subgroup of 286 patients with inflammatory mass in the head of the pancreas (IMH), 154 patients (51%) showed radiological proved CBDS; out of this group, 82 patients (57%) revealed cholestasis and 37 patients (26%) had one or several periods of jaundice. By means of ERCP, 104 patients (72%) revealed short stenosis of the common bile duct (CBD) (<2 cm). No significant differences could be found in terms of morphologic alterations like pancreatic main duct stenosis, pseudocysts, duodenum stenosis, vascular obstruction. Ten patients (7%) in the group with CBDS and 13 patients (9%) in the group without CBDS had cancer in the pancreatic head. Concerning the endocrine function, the group of patients with CBDS had a significantly elevated rate of impaired glucose metabolism (IGT or IDDM) compared to the group without CBDS (60% versus 38%; P < 0.003). These results demonstrate that patients with IMH bear the risk of developing a stenosis of the CBD even before they become symptomatic with cholestasis or jaundice.

Due to the elevated morbidity and the significantly deteriorated endocrine function, patients of this group are candidates for early surgical treatment.