2.1　Pre-endotherapy Assessment and Patient Selecti...

2.1　Pre-endotherapy Assessment and Patient Selection

The selection of patients for endotherapy requires assessment of the stone distribution，density and morphology.This may be performed using a fluoroscopy machine with a rotatable arm.In addition，ductal anatomy and associated strictures or variants may be best evaluated with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography（MRCP）（Fig.9.1a，b）.

Fig.9.1　（a）Computed Tomography of a patient with a calcific stone at the pancreatic genu.（b）Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography of the same patient with ductal stone at the genu，upstream ductal dilation and a convoluted downstream ventral pancreatic duct

Table 9.1　Factors favouring successful pancreatic ductal stone clearance by endotherapy(https://www.daowen.com)

Predictive factors favouring successful stone clearance by endotherapy are reported in Table 9.1（Sherman et al.1991）.