Chronic pancreatitis: a cause of biliary stricture

This is a report of our experience with 13 patients who had a distal common duct stricture associated with chronic relapsing pancreatitis. All patients, when first seen, had an elevated alkaline phosphatase level; eight of 13 patients also had an elevated serum bilirubin level. Five of the jaundiced patients had a febrile course; a preoperative diagnosis of acute cholangitis was made in four of these. Eight of the 13 patients have had a choledochoduodenostomy for relief of biliary obstruction; seven of these patients are living and well; one died of continued alcoholism and pancreatitis. One patient had a loop cholecystojejunostomy; decompression was inadequate and death due to septicemia secondary to ascending cholangitis ensued. Four patients have not yet had an operation. Two are symptomatic, but elective operation has been refused. Two have been lost to follow-up. We recommend investigation of the biliary tract in patients known to have chronic relapsing pancreatitis who also have persisting abdominal symptoms and an elevated alkaline phosphatase. If a stricture of the distal common bile duct is identified in the absence of acute pancreatitis, choledochoduodenostomy should be performed.