A Comprehensive Approach to the Management of Benign and Malignant Ampullary Lesions: Management in Hereditary and Sporadic Settings.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review was to examine the historical roots of endoscopic management of ampullary lesions and explore emerging data on improved techniques, technologies, and outcomes. Of specific interest was answering whether there exists a reasonable body of data to support one resection technique or strategy above others.

RECENT FINDINGS: Review of recent literature suggests the continued use of endoscopic ampullectomy is a safe and effective means of curative treatment of ampullary adenomas. Complications are relatively infrequent and complete endoscopic resection is possible in a majority of cases, with proper patient and lesion selection. Greater than 2 decades of experience with endoscopic ampullectomy have shown this to be a viable, well-tolerated, and highly effective means of treating ampullary adenomas. While few concrete guidelines exist to advise endoscopists on the ideal technique for resection, experience, patient selection, and prior planning can greatly influence the technical and clinical success of endoscopic ampullectomy.