Purpose of review: To provide an overview of the field of pancreatoscopy and to summarize the data informing its clinical utility.
Recent findings: Regarding the technological advance of pancreatoscopy, recent studies are the first to report the use of digital, single-operator pancreatoscopy (SpyGlass DS; Boston Scientific, Natick, MA). New data on the use of preoperative pancreatoscopy offer promising results for the potential to optimize treatment of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms and to differentiate between benign and malignant pancreatic strictures. Finally, there has been accumulating evidence for the use of pancreatoscopy-guided lithotripsy for the management of painful chronic calcific pancreatitis.
Summary: Endoscopic pancreatoscopy offers the advantage of direct visualization of the pancreatic duct, allowing for optimal macroscopic assessment, targeted tissue acquisition and guided therapies such as lithotripsy of pancreatic duct stones. The data informing some aspects remain limited, but the accumulating literature forms our understanding of the current and future role of pancreatoscopy in the management of pancreatic disease.