Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy and Endotherapy for Pain in Chronic Pancreatitis

Pain is a common symptom of chronic pancreatitis and remains a significant therapeutic challenge. In patients with pathological changes of the pancreatic duct, including stones and strictures, endoscopic procedures with or without preceding extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) have been used with varying success to treat pain, but high quality evidence is lacking so support this practice. The main objective of this study is to investigate the pain-relieving effects of combined ESWL and endotherapy in patients with painful CP in comparison with sham treatment.