Endoscopic pancreatography in evaluating results of pancreatico-jejunostomy

It has been difficult, employing clinical methods, to establish whether pancreatico-enteric drainage shunts for chronic pancreatitis have remained patent and how the operation has affected the inflammatory changes and ductal pathological morphology. In an attempt objectively to evaluate postoperative results, 13 patients with two different types of pancreatico-jejunostomies were examined with endoscopic pancreatography. Progress of the inflammatory changes was noted to a varying degree in the majority of cases. In four patients subjected to longitudinal split of the pancreatic duct, shunt patency was evidenced. In the remaining nine patients with caudal pancreatico-jejunostomy, no contrast medium could be made to pass the shunts in six cases, whereas passage was clearly demonstrated in one and uncertain in two. All the patients reported clinical improvement after operation.