title: Review of endoscopic techniques in the diagnosis and management of cholangiocarcinoma.
abstract: Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare malignancy of the biliary tract. Key factors in determining therapeutic options include knowledge of tumor extent, anatomy and obtaining tissue diagnosis. Endoscopically, there are three modalities available to make the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma. These include endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, endoscopic ultrasound with fine needle aspiration and cholangioscopy. Management of cholangiocarcinoma endoscopically is typically confined to stent placement for palliative purposes or as a bridge to surgery. In this article, we will review the endoscopic techniques available for the diagnosis and management of cholangiocarcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Scott & White Clinic, Texas A & M University Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas 76508, USA. knguyen@swmail.sw.org
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: James-T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Sing
mesh_terms: D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance; D019723:Endoscopes; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D019160:Endosonography; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome