CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Endosc Int Open 2020; 08(12): E1909-E1914
DOI: 10.1055/a-1293-7783
Original article

Long-term follow-up after fetal radiation exposure during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

Oscar Laudanno
1   Instituto de Investigaciones Medicas Doctor Alfredo Lanari – Gastroenterology, Buenos Aires, Argentina
,
Jose Garrido
2   Hospital C. Boccalandro, Tres de Febrero, Gastroenterology, Buenos Aires, Argentina
,
Gabrial Ahumarán
2   Hospital C. Boccalandro, Tres de Febrero, Gastroenterology, Buenos Aires, Argentina
,
Pablo Gollo
2   Hospital C. Boccalandro, Tres de Febrero, Gastroenterology, Buenos Aires, Argentina
,
Marina Khoury
1   Instituto de Investigaciones Medicas Doctor Alfredo Lanari – Gastroenterology, Buenos Aires, Argentina
› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Background and study aims The main concern about endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) during pregnancy is the risk of radiation exposure to the fetus. The potential exists not only in the short-term, but also in the long-term and includes growth and development problems and the possibility of childhood cancer. Little is known about the long-term effects of fetal radiation exposure at the time of ERCP. The aim of the study was to report the long-term outcome of babies born after radiation exposure to mothers who underwent ERCP during pregnancy.

Patients and methods This was a single-center retrospective cohort study. We included 24 consecutive pregnant patients who underwent ERCP due to choledocholithiasis and their children, between June 1997 and June 2015. All patients and their babies were followed up until birth to assess their short-term outcome. To assess long-term outcomes, from September 2014 to September 2015, a comprehensive medical interview was conducted with the mothers and their children. We also evaluated medical records, lab tests, school report cards, and the families completed a questionnaire inquiring about perceived health status of the children.

Results Fifteen patients had full-term pregnancies. One patient had a preterm delivery (32 weeks) due to preeclampsia. There were no cases of miscarriage, stillbirth or fetal malformations. Long-term follow-up was performed at a mean age of 11.08 years (range 1–18) for the children, with no developmental delays, poor school performance, or malignancies found.

Conclusions Long-term outcome in children born after radiation exposure during ERCP was unremarkable.



Publication History

Received: 27 July 2020

Accepted: 29 September 2020

Article published online:
27 November 2020

© 2020. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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