A new method to obtain a tissue diagnosis of proximal bile duct tumors.
Klatskin tumors often pose a challenge for diagnosis and treatment. Most of these neoplasms are diagnosed clinically because of the difficulty in obtaining tissue that will provide histologic proof of the disease. When a non-operative course is sought, exhaustive attempts should be made to obtain a tissue diagnosis because of the potential for a false-positive clinical diagnosis. We describe a new way to obtain tissue for diagnosis by placing a laparoscopic choledochoscope through a percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram track, thus allowing the tumor to be directly visualized and biopsied.
Rao
R
R
Department of Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153.
Castelli
M
M
Salvino
C K
CK
Marsan
R
R
Prinz
R A
RA
D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001706:Biopsy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006500:Hepatic Duct, Common; D006801:Humans; D018285:Klatskin Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis*; D020706:Laparoscopes; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged