Clinical Endoscopy  2012;45(3):328-330

Endoscopic Ultrasonography in the Evaluation of Indeterminate Biliary Strictures.

Mark TOPAZIAN 1

Affiliations

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Keywords

Endoscopic ultrasound; Pathologic constriction; Fine-needle biopsy; Bile ducts

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Biliary strictures may be due to a variety of benign and malignant processes. Imaging with endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) often suggests the diagnosis, but is usually not definitive. EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) facilitates the diagnosis of extrahepatic biliary strictures, although peritioneal metastases due to needle tract seeding may occur after EUS-FNA of cholangiocarcinoma. In addition to diagnosis of strictures, EUS may play an important role in staging of cholangiocarcinoma.