ERCP

Injury	Diseases	Nutrition	Poison
Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

ERCP

Gallbladder endoscopy

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Why the test is performed

The procedure is used to identify any problems of the pancreas or bile ducts that can cause abdominal pain (usually in the right upper or middle stomach area) and yellowing of the skin and eyes ( jaundice). These include:

Bile duct strictures
Bile duct tumors
Chronic pancreatitis
Gallstones
Primary biliary cirrhosis
Cholangitis
Pancreatic pseudocysts
Pancreatic strictures
Pancreatic tumors (including pancreatic cancer)

ERCP is often performed after gallstones in the common duct are discovered during cholecystectomy.

A procedure called endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) can be done at the same time as an ERCP.

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Review Date: 07/06/2009
Reviewed By: Reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Also reviewed by George F Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program San Diego, California.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).