title: Endoscopic Gruntzig balloon dilation of benign strictures in the biliary system.
abstract: Five patients with benign strictures of the biliary tract were treated by Gruntzig balloon dilation during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. All of the strictures were effectively dilated. One patient with a retained stone in the proximal biliary tree underwent surgery 3 weeks after the dilatation because of cholangitis. The other four patients were well at a mean follow-up of 6 months. There were no complications related to the procedure. We conclude that Gruntzig balloon dilation of benign bile duct strictures is safe and effective, and is a potential endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003137:Common Bile Duct Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D004106:Dilatation; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged