Endoscopic Management of Pancreatobiliary Stricture in Chronic Pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis is a debilitating disease with complications such as pancreatobiliary ductal stricture, leakage or fistulae contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. Treatment aims to relieve symptoms of pancreatobiliary ductal obstruction, maintain long-term drainage, and preserve pancreatic endocrine/ exocrine functions. Endoscopic therapy, including stricture dilatation and stenting, is thought to be effective and the first-line treatment of these complications, and surgical therapies are reserved for patients with chronic pancreatitis who are refractory to endoscopic treatments. In this review, we discuss the role of endoscopic intervention for chronic pancreatitis related pancreatobiliary ductal problems.