title: Malignant biliary obstruction: value of imaging findings.
abstract: This review focuses on the clinical impact of different modalities to image primary and secondary malignant biliary obstruction. The detection and staging of cancers of the pancreatic and biliary tract are best accomplished with endoscopic ultrasound, contrast-enhanced computed tomography, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. Three-dimensional ultrasound is a new noninvasive method that may be used increasingly as an initial test to select patients who require further diagnostic evaluation by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography or therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. All-in-one computed tomography including three-dimensional reconstructions of the biliary tree may be competitive against all-in-one magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosis and staging of pancreatic tumors. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography is excellent for identifying the presence and the level of biliary obstruction. With newer diagnostic imaging technologies emerging, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is evolving into a predominantly therapeutic procedure.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Charité Campus Virchow, Medical Faculty, Humboldt University, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany. stros@charite.de
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stroszczynski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hunerbein
mesh_terms: D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D017734:Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D002758:Cholangiography / Q000379:methods; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*