• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2002

The pain of chronic pancreatitis associated intraductal stones is related to increased intraductal pressure. Decom-pression of the pancreatic duct along with extraction of stones are the goals of a combined endoscopic-extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy approach. The aim of this study is to define radiographic prognostic criteria for better complete free rate of pancreatic head and body ductal stones for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Fifty-nine patients with chronic pancreatitis were treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for endoscopically unretrievable stones. The stones on endoscopic retrograde pancreatograms were classified into four characteristics including number, size of longest diameter, density compared with vertebral body, and shape. Complete stone free were obtained in 45 of 59(76.3%). Pancreatic ductal stones with radiographic characteristics including higher density than vertebral body, square shape, and rim calcified stones were hindrance factors for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. We propose that patients with rim calcified stone of our three hindrance factors should be treated by other technique.