[Endoscopic retrograde cholangio- pancreatography. An overview of procedures at the Natinal University Hospital in...

In this retrospective study we analysed all ERCP procedures performed at the National University Hospital in Reykjavik, Iceland, for the period 1983-1992.

A total of 644 procedures were performed on 477 patients.

The main indication for a diagnostic ERCP was suspected choledocholithiasis in 58.8% of cases. Cannulation of the papilla of Vater was successfully achived in 94% of patients and in 82% the desired duct was visualised. Juxtapapillary diverticula were found in 14.5% of patients. The success at cannulation was significally less in that group. Choledocholithiasis was found in 19.4% more often in the patients with diverticula, 29.5 vs. 18.8%. The number of therapeutic interventions was 158 performed on 84 patients (24.5% of all ERCP). The most common procedure was sphincterotomy, performed in 84% of cases. Stone extraction was successfully achived in 58% of all attempts. The overall complications rate was 7%, most frequently acute pancreatitis (4.7%) followed by cholangitis (1.9%) and bleeding (0.3%). The complications were mild in the majority of cases but serious ones did occur and were fatal in three (0.5%) patients related to severe pancreatitis.

The results of this retrospective study in Iceland are comparable to what others have reported previously.