1976 Volume 18 Issue 4 Pages 581-591
Endoscopic papillotomy is one of the great advances in recent years in the fields of endoscopy. We have performed 12 cases of endoscopic papillotomy to remove the common duct stones, to cure the choledochoduodenal fistula and to perform the biopsy of the tumor of the common bile duct. We have experienced 2 cases of complications of endoscopic papillotomy. One was acute pancreatitis because of the electrical damage of pancreatic duct. The other was massive bleeding from the incized papilla. The detal was mentioned here. Af etr papillotomy, it was attempted to insert a biopsy forceps f ram the incized papilla into the common bile duct in order to take specimens in the stenotic portion of the common bile duct. But the biopsy forceps couldn't insert into the common bile duct, because it was hard and didn't bend upwards enough as like the cannula. So, we developed a newly designed biopsy forceps. This instrument is easier to insert into common bile duct from the incized papilla because of its softness. With the advent of this improved soft biopsy forceps, it will become possible to perform the endoscopic transduodenal biopsy of the common bile duct without papillotomy. This method will serve the progress of the endoscopic diagnosis for such diseases as cancer of the common bile duct, the cholangitis and etc.