[Endoscopic palliative treatment of malignant bile duct obstruction by endoprosthesis]

Endoscopic positioning of a large biliary endoprosthesis has become a well codified procedure for palliative treatment of primary or metastatic malignant bile duct obstruction. Authors' experience, regarding 47 patients treated by this technique from February 1992, is reported. Furthermore, either absolute or site-related per cent rate of successful positioning of endoprosthesis, efficacy of procedure, early and late complications and mean survival are reported. Results confirm the effectiveness of the procedure in reducing jaundice resulting from malignant bile duct obstruction and low complication rate; early detection and treatment of prosthetic obstruction with subsequent cholangitis, that is the most important factor responsible for death, depend upon close collaboration between physician and endoscopist.