Acute cholangitis in association with acute pancreatitis: Incidence, clinical features and outcome in relation to ERCP and endoscopic sphincterotomy

Abstract

Although endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) have been shown to be valuable in managing patients with acute cholangitis, their role in patients who have simultaneous acute cholangitis and acute pancreatitis is not known. We have reviewed 32 consecutive patients presenting with both conditions over ten years which represents 23·0 per cent of all cases of gallstone-related acute cholangitis and 14·4 per cent of all cases of biliary acute pancreatitis admitted during the same period. The majority of patients were elderly (median 76 years) and female (75 per cent). Five patients had previously undergone cholecystectomy. Eleven patients were clinically shocked (34 per cent) and blood cultures were positive in 9/14 cases (64 per cent). Twenty patients (63 per cent) had a predicted severe attack of acute pancreatitis (modified Glasgow criteria). Common bile duct (CBD) stones were identified in 15 of 23 patients with successful ERCP. Of these 23 patients, 9 were treated by endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) alone, 5 by ES and surgery, 4 by surgery alone and 5 were treated conservatively. There was one death (4·3 per cent). Nine patients were managed without cholangiography; four had surgery and five were treated conservatively. There were three deaths (33 percent; P = 0·10). Evidence of recent CBD stone passage was apparent in eight patients (25 per cent) compared with five out of eighty-seven patients (5·7 per cent) with acute cholangitis alone (P<0·05). The results indicate that ERCP and ES may have an important role in the management of these patients.