title: Long-term follow-up after endoscopic stent therapy for benign biliary strictures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Endoscopic therapy holds an important role in the management of benign biliary strictures. This study compares the long-term outcome of stenting therapy depending on the underlying cause of the stricture.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective cohort study, 228 patients with benign biliary strictures were identified using an endoscopic database, hospital charts, and cholangiograms between January 1992 and December 2008. Long-term follow-up was evaluated with cholangiograms, transabdominal ultrasound, laboratory parameters, and physical examination. The median follow-up period was 44.7 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Endoscopic management showed best long-term results in patients with stone-associated biliary stricture. In this subgroup, endoscopic therapy could be successfully completed in 92% (71/77) of the patients. Patients with postoperative biliary stricture had good outcome in 83% (53/64) of cases. Idiopathic strictures presented a successful outcome in 58% (15/26). Biliary strictures caused by chronic pancreatitis had a significantly poorer outcome compared with strictures of other origin. Therapeutic success of endoscopic therapy could only be observed in 31% of patients (19/61).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term outcome of endoscopic therapy for benign strictures was significantly dependent on the underlying cause of the stricture. In particular, patients with biliary strictures due to chronic pancreatitis benefit least from endoscopic therapy, whereas patients with stone-associated strictures had the highest therapeutic success rate.
authors.affiliation: *II. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik †Institute for Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich ‡II. Medizinische Klinik, Gastroenterologie und Hepatologie, Helios Klinikum Wuppertal, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Wuppertal, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zellner
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wagenpfeil
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerngross
authors.forename: Dorothee M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Baur
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neu
authors.forename: Monther
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bajbouj
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Delius
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Algül
authors.forename: Roland M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prinz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D042882:Gallstones / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult