Radiologic pitfalls in endoscopic retrograde pancreatography.

Endoscopic pancreatography (ERCP) is currently the least invasive technique for obtaining detailed images of the pancreatic ductal system. Although expert ERCP is now an acceptably safe procedure, interpretation of endoscopic pancreatograms may be difficult, and misdiagnosis is still a risk to the patient. We have been able to divide misinterpretations into three broad categories: technical error, anatomic variation, and unusual images due to disease. Examples of each of these classifications are presented and discussed in hopes of decreasing the incidence of misdiagnosis.