Endoscopic Drainage of Pancreatic Pseudocysts Guided by Endosonography

Abstract

Endoscopic drainage of cysts is now accepted as an effective treatment in chronic pancreatitis. Endosonography is coming to be regarded as essential before endoscopic therapy, since it can precisely identify the best and safest point at which to perform the cystoenterostomy. The present report illustrates from four cases that, in some patients, endosonography may contraindicate endoscopic drainage, while in others, it can prove the feasibility of the treatment even when there is no bulging of the cyst into the digestive tract.