Clinical utility of peroral cholangioscopy for mucin-producing bile duct tumor.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical utility of peroral cholangioscopy for mucin-producing bile duct tumor.

METHODOLOGY: Peroral cholangioscopy was performed in seven cases of mucin-producing bile duct tumor to decide the course of treatment based on the results. All seven cases were evaluated by peroral cholangioscopy and examined by a transpapillary biopsy. Five out of the seven cases (71.4%) were adequately observed. Because abundant mucin could not be removed in 2 cases (28.6%), one of them underwent PTCS after PTBD, and the other had surgery for EBD insertion without PTBD at the patient's request. A stent was placed by surgery in five out of the seven cases and by a transpapillary method in two cases.

RESULTS: Among the five cases that could be evaluated by peroral cholangioscopy, the excised specimens were compared with the findings obtained from peroral cholangioscopy in three cases that underwent surgery, while the results of transpapillary mapping biopsy were compared with the findings obtained from peroral cholangioscopy in two inoperable cases, showing that the evaluation by peroral cholangioscopy agreed with the results of tumor staging in all the five cases.

CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested the possibility that the use of peroral cholangioscopy for mucin-producing bile duct tumor could be useful in deciding the course of treatment.