Biliary guidewire facilitates bile duct biopsy and endoscopic drainage.
BACKGROUND
The introduction of a guidewire through bile duct strictures may facilitate transpapillary bile duct biopsy and subsequent biliary drainage.


METHODS
Endoscopic bile duct biopsy was attempted in 61 patients with bile duct strictures. After the introduction of a guidewire into the bile duct, biopsy forceps were inserted via the papilla. Both devices were inserted through the working channel (3.2 mm in diameter) of a conventional duodenoscope. After the procedure, an endoscopic naso-biliary drainage catheter was advanced along the guidewire. The success rate of inserting the biopsy forceps, the sensitivity of the biopsy, and the success rate of endoscopic biliary drainage after the biopsy were analyzed prospectively.


RESULTS
The final diagnosis was malignant strictures in 50 patients and benign strictures in 11. The success rate of inserting biopsy forceps without performing endoscopic papillary balloon dilation was 85%. The sensitivity of the biopsy for primary bile duct cancer (83%) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of pancreatic cancer (47%). All patients had successful endoscopic biliary drainage after the procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
A previously placed guidewire facilitates insertion of biopsy forceps and endoscopic biliary drainage. The histological diagnosis of cancer is more likely with bile duct cancer than with pancreatic cancer.
Higashizawa
Toshihiko
T
Department of Gastroenterology, Jichi Medical School, Yakushiji, Tochigi, Japan.
Tamada
Kiichi
K
Tomiyama
Takeshi
T
Wada
Shinichi
S
Ohashi
Akira
A
Satoh
Yukihiro
Y
Gotoh
Yasuhiro
Y
Miyata
Takamitsu
T
Ido
Kenichi
K
Sugano
Kentaro
K
D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D017734:Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic / Q000473:pathology*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology*; D001706:Biopsy; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000473:pathology*; D001651:Cholestasis, Extrahepatic / Q000473:pathology*; D004322:Drainage; D020698:Duodenoscopes; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity