Endoscopy of the biliary tract and the pancreas in children

ERCP is a useful method in adults for diagnosing bilio-pancreatic disorders. The application of this technique in children is limited until now according to the rare case reports in the literature. Our experience with this procedure, based on the examination of six children and 12 youths, shows that ERCP can be employed with great benefit, when taking into account the correct indication. ERCP is mainly applied to clarify obstructive jaundice, especially when anomalies of the bile duct system are suspected, and to discover a reason for relapsing pancreatitis where other procedures fail. Blunt abdominal traumata with upper GI bleeding may well be another reason. In general our first reported data are encouraging.