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The medical literature is inundated with studies that were designed to evaluate the efficacy of various methods (both pharmacologic and mechanical) for preventing pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Because tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) is a known contributor to inflammation of the pancreas, researchers have evaluated several agents that influence this molecule, with varying degrees of success.
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the anti-TNF agent pentoxifylline for preventing post-ERCP pancreatitis, researchers randomized 320 ERCP patients in Greece to prophylactic pentoxifylline or no prophylactic therapy (controls). Exclusion criteria were acute or chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic or ampullary neo…