Published online Apr 16, 2015. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v7.i4.354
Peer-review started: October 1, 2014
First decision: October 14, 2014
Revised: November 25, 2014
Accepted: January 15, 2015
Article in press: January 19, 2015
Published online: April 16, 2015
Processing time: 200 Days and 7.2 Hours
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFC) has become increasingly popular and become first line management option in many centers. Use of therapeutic echoendoscopes has greatly increased the applicability of EUS guided transmural drainage. Drainage is indicated in symptomatic PFCs, PFC related infection, bleed, luminal obstruction, fistulization and biliary obstruction. EUS guided transmural drainage of PFCs is preferred in patients with non bulging lesions, portal hypertension, bleeding tendency and in those whom conventional drainage has failed. In the present decade significant progress has been made in minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. There are newer stent designs, access devices and techniques for more efficient drainage of PFCs. In this review, we discuss the EUS guided drainage of PFCs in acute pancreatitis.
Core tip: Endoscopic ultrasound guided drainage has become first line option in the management of pancreatic fluid collections in acute pancreatitis. There are many new stent designs and techniques available that has made the procedure and its outcome more impressive. In this manuscript we present a concise review on this topic.