Background. Although periampullary diverticulum is usually asymptomatic and discovered incidentally in patients during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), it may lead to post-ERCP morbidity. We compared baseline characteristics and clinical data as well as ERCP results in patients with and without periampullary diverticulum. Methods. Clinical, laboratory, and ERCP data of 780 patients referred to the Taleghani Hospital, as a great referral endoscopy center, in Iran were prospectively analyzed. Results. The periampullary diverticulum was identified in 44 patients (5.6%). Cannulation of common bile duct was more failed in patients with diverticulum compared to others (35.5% versus 11.5, P < 0.001). Patients with diverticulum had eight times more often common bile duct stone compared to patients without diverticulum (54.5% versus 12.2%, P < 0.001). Post-ERCP complications were observed in 2.3% and 4.2% of patients with and without diverticulum, respectively, which did not significantly differ in both groups. Conclusion. Because of more failure cannulation in the presence of periampullary diverticulum, ERCP requires more skills in these patients. Prevalence of common bile duct stone was notably higher in patients with diverticulum; therefore, more assessment of bile stone and its complications in these patients is persistently recommended.

Background. The present study sought and compared the utility and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the elderly and younger people in a great sample of Iranian population. Methods. Our study involved 780 patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP at the Taleghani hospital in Tehran between 2010 and 2011; among them, 558 patients were less than 70 years old and others were 70 years old or older. The patients were prospectively identified and data including clinical and biochemical features, ERCP procedures, ERCP diagnosis, and ERCP complications were gathered on them prospectively. Results. Clinical manifestations were comparable in young and older groups except for hepatosplenomegaly and constipation that were more prevalent in the elderly. Laboratory findings were similar in both groups other than mean levels of alkaline phosphatase, hemoglobin and albumin levels, which were higher in the elderly group. Selective biliary cannulation was technically more successful in the younger than in others (89.0% versus 81.8%). Common bile duct stone was the most frequent diagnosis in both young and older groups (36.6% and 45.9%, resp.), whereas ERCP was reported to be normal in 13.4% of the younger and 5.0% of the elderly patients. Post-ERCP complications were observed in 4.8% of patients aged less than 70 years in comparison with 2.3% of patients aged over 70 years. The most frequent complication was pancreatitis that was significantly more developed in young than older patients (3.6% versus 1.5%; OR: 8.216, P = 0.015). Conclusion. Diagnostic ERCP is safe and well tolerated in the elderly and even associated with significantly less risk than the younger.

BACKGROUNDPancreatitis remains the most common complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), resulting in substantial morbidity and occasional mortality. There are notable controversies and conflicting reports about risk factors of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP).AIMTo evaluate the potential risk factors for PEP at a referral tertiary center, as a sample of the Iranian population.MATERIALS AND METHODSBaseline characteristics and clinical as well as paraclinical information of 780 patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP at Taleghani hospital in Tehran between 2008 and 2012 were reviewed. Data were collected prior to the ERCP, at the time of the procedure, and 24–72 hours after discharge. PEP was diagnosed according to consensus criteria.RESULTSOf the 780 patients who underwent diagnostic ERCP, pancreatitis developed in 26 patients (3.3%). In the multivariable risk model, significant risk factors with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were age <65 years (OR = 10.647, P = 0.023) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) >30 (OR = 6.414, P < 0.001). Female gender, history of recurrent pancreatitis, pre-ERCP hyperamylasemia, and difficult or failed cannulation could not predict PEP. There was no significant difference in the rate of PEP in wire-guided cannulation versus biliary cannulation using a sphincterotome and contrast injection as the conventional method.CONCLUSIONSPerforming ERCP may be safer in the elderly. Patients with high ESR may be at greater risk of PEP, which warrants close observation of these patients for signs of pancreatitis after ERCP.

Background and Study Aims. The usefulness of wire-guided cannulation for avoiding hyperamylasemia and pancreatitis following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is conflicting, and therefore we designed this study to determine whether wire-guided cannulation reduces the rate of post-ERCP hyperamylasemia and pancreatitis and compare its efficacy to conventional method. Patients and Methods. Seven hundred and forty-eight patients with hepatobiliary diseases consecutively underwent diagnostic or therapeutic ERCP at the unit of Taleghani referral hospital in Tehran. Among them, 546 patients were eligible for wire-guided cannulation and underwent this procedure and others underwent sphincterotome biliary cannulation using contrast injection as the conventional method. Results. Patients in the two groups were comparable in terms of gender and age. Successful biliary cannulation was achieved similary in the guidewire and conventional group (89.2% versus 86.4%) that in 5.4% and 14.1% of them it was difficultly performed, respectively (P = 0.003). The main pancreatic duct was more visualized in 99.0% of patients in conventional group in comparison with 79.0% in another group (P < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that wire-guided cannulation had a protective role for post-ERCP hyperamylasemia (OR: 0.336, 95% CI: 0.181–0.623, P < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in rates of other procedure-related complications, such as, pancreatitis, bleeding, and perforation. Conclusion. The use of guidewire cannulation in comparison with conventional method can be accompanied with lower post-ERCP hyperamylasemia, and therefore selection of this cannulation technique especially in high-risk group is recommended.