Aims:
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is seldom used in children,
and published series have limited numbers of pediatric patients. The aim of this retrospective,
long-term, observational study was to assess the efficacy and safety of pediatric
ERCP in a large group of children.
Methods:
Data were evaluated from 626 children with biliopancreatic disorders admitted to University
Hospital Motol, Prague, between January 1999 and January 2018. Clinical data were
obtained by retrospective evaluation of our database of pediatric ERCP procedures
and from clinical records.
Results:
We performed 856 ERCPs on 626 pediatric patients; of these procedures, 59% were therapeutic
and 41% were diagnostic. We achieved 96% technical success. Indications for ERCP and
pathological findings differed in different age groups. The main role of ERCP was
in excluding biliary atresia in those aged less than one year. In children aged 1
to 6 years, the most frequent diagnoses were choledochal cyst followed by choledocholithiasis.
In children aged 7 to 12 years and 13 to 19 years, the most frequent diagnoses were
choledocholithiasis followed by pancreatic pathology. The overall complication rate
found in this study was similar to rates observed in adult populations.
Conclusions:
Our study shows the efficacy and safety of diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP in a large
series of infants and children with technical success and complication rates comparable
to those in adults. Our data show that ERCP had different roles in different age groups
of children.
