Open AccessWhat is the current role of endoscopy in primary sclerosing cholangitis?
Author(s) -
Benjamin Tharian,
Nayana George,
Tony Chiew Keong Tham
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
world journal of gastrointestinal endoscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1948-5190
DOI - 10.4253/wjge.v7.i10.920
Subject(s) - medicine , endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography , primary sclerosing cholangitis , gold standard (test) , endoscopy , context (archaeology) , magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography , differential diagnosis , radiology , portal hypertension , medical diagnosis , magnetic resonance imaging , gastroenterology , general surgery , disease , pathology , pancreatitis , paleontology , cirrhosis , biology
Endoscopy has important roles in the management of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), ranging from narrowing down the differential diagnoses, screening for complications, determining prognosis and therapy. While the need for a diagnostic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) may be obviated by a positive magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), a negative MRCP does not exclude PSC and may therefore necessitate an ERCP, which is traditionally regarded as the gold standard. In this editorial we have not covered the endoscopic management of inflammatory bowel disease in the context of PSC nor of endoscopic surveillance and treatment of portal hypertension complicating PSC.