The Role Of Endoscopic Treatment In Lithiasic Cholangitis

Acute lithiasic cholangitis is a bacterial infection of the biliary tract due to a lithiasic obstruction. It is a therapeutic emergency that can be life-threatening. The aim of our work is to evaluate the results of endoscopic drainage in cases of acute lithiasic cholangitis. Materials and Methods This is a descriptive and analytical retrospective study conducted in the Gastroenterology II department of the HMI Med V of RABAT between April 2002 and April 2022 including 207 patients who underwent ERCP for acute cholangitis. We analyzed the epidemiological data of the patients, the results of the ERCP, as well as the morbidity and mortality post-endoscopic sphincterotomy. Results The mean age of the patients was 58 years with extremes ranging from 21 to 80 years and a sex ratio of 0.66. Endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy was performed in 91.4% of cases. A nasobiliary drain was placed in 16.1% of cases. The overall success rate of stone extraction was 95.2%. The cure rate at 7 days after ERCP was 92.4%. The overall rate of early post-ERCP complications was 8.5%. The mortality rate was zero. Conclusion Endoscopic sphincterotomy has revolutionized the treatment of common bile duct lithiasis and lithiatic cholangitis. It allows good biliary drainage. Its results are satisfactory, with less morbidity and mortality compared to surgical treatment.