Complications after ERCP in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

BACKGROUND: There are conflicting data regarding the role of ERCP in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and the risk of procedure-related complications.

OBJECTIVE: We compared the complication rate after ERCP in a consecutive series of patients with PSC compared with control patients with biliary strictures who did not have PSC.

DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

SETTING: A tertiary referral academic hospital.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Incidence of complications after ERCP.

PATIENTS AND RESULTS: A total of 85 ERCPs among 30 patients with PSC and 70 ERCPs among 45 control patients were reviewed. There was no significant difference in the overall complication rates between patients with and without PSC (11/85 [12.9%] vs 6/70 [8.6%], P = .45). Complications in PSC were more likely to occur after ERCP done to evaluate an acute sign or symptom than in elective cases (7/24 [29.2%] vs 4/61 [6.6%], P = .01). Patients with PSC who had complications had more total and acute ERCPs than did those without complications. There was no significant difference in the rate of complications in diagnostic versus therapeutic ERCPs nor between stent placement and dilation-only therapeutic ERCPs in the PSC population.

LIMITATIONS: Retrospective study design and limited power related to the small sample sizes.

CONCLUSIONS: Elective ERCP is safe and carries a modest risk in patients with PSC; however, ERCP for acute indications greatly increases the probability of postprocedure complications. The overall complication rate after therapeutic ERCP in patients with PSC is similar to that in patients without PSC.