Objective: To assess the diagnostic value of intraductal ultrasonography (IDUS)when the findings of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) were not clearly demonstrated.
Methods: One hundred and thirty-one cases of suspected biliary and pancreatic diseases were enrolled. IDUS was performed after unsatisfactory ERCP. Then the outcomes were correlated with the pathological results.
Results: Sixty-six benign and 58 malignant cases were clarified with additional IDUS after ERCP according to definite diagnostic criteria. The diagnostic accuracy was 94.3% and 95.1%; the sensitivity and specificity were 95.4% and 100%, 80.0% and 76.9%, respectively. Moreover, it could distinguish benign tissues from malignant ones successfully; the sensitivity and specificity were 78.7% and 88.6%.
Conclusion: IDUS after ERCP yields higher diagnostic accuracy for complex biliary and pancreatic diseases and it is also more dependable in differentiating benign tissues from malignant ones than ERCP alone.