[Treatment of adenocarcinoma of Vater's ampulla]

We reviewed the records of 51 patients. In two-thirds of the cases the main symptom was icterus; one third presented with pain. The whole group underwent a retrograde choledocho-pancreatography. An abnormal papilla was found in 80% of the cases. This finding proved to be of sufficient diagnostic importance without the necessity of an associated choledocho-pancreatography for diagnostic confirmation. Although in the majority of the cases the choledochus proved to be dilated, pancreatic duct enlargment was only noted in 50%. The only treatment in the very elderly patient was endoscopic sphincterotomy. Younger patients underwent a duodeno-pancreatectomy preceded by an endoscopic sphincterotomy. The morbidity and mortality associated with endoscopic opacification of the biliary and pancreatic ducts and sphincterotomy in this setting is much higher than for all other indications in general. For this reason we propose to perform a choledocho-pancreatography only when indispensable for diagnostic purposes (nl. papilla) or when endoscopic sphincterotomy is the chosen treatment modality.