Percutaneous ultrasound-guided cholangiography using microbubbles to evaluate the dilated biliary tract: initial experience
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Updated: May 29, 2026
Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Biliary Drainage: Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Hepaticogastrostomy in Malignant Biliary Obstruction
Published on: March 25, 2022
Zhou Luyao1, Xie Xiaoyan, Xu Huixiong
1Institute of Ultrasonic Diagnosis and Interventional Ultrasound, Department of Ultrasonic, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Objective:
To evaluate the feasibility of percutaneous ultrasound cholangiography (PUSC) with a microbubble contrast agent in assessing obstructive bile duct diseases.
Methods:
PUSC and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) were performed in 58 patients with obstructive jaundice undergoing ultrasound-guided percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage (PTCD). The PUSC findings were compared with PTC using the Chi-squared test
Results:
The accuracy of PUSC in determining the level of hilar obstruction and extrahepatic obstruction was 100% (26/26) and 93.3% (30/32), while the accuracy of PTC was 100% for both (P = 1.000, P = 0.492, respectively). The accuracy of PUSC in determining the cause of hilar obstruction and extrahepatic obstruction was 92.3% (24/26) and 93.8% (30/32), respectively, while the accuracy of PTC was 84.6% (22/26) (P = 0.675) and 75% (24/34) (P = 0.039), respectively.
Conclusion:
PUSC is comparable to PTC in depicting the anatomy of the dilated bile duct tree and determining the level of obstruction for patients with obstructive jaundice, hence it expands the capacity of ultrasound in evaluating obstructive bile duct disease and simplifies the procedure of assessing obstructive jaundice. Key Points • Percutaneous ultrasound-guided cholangiography with microbubbles offers a new form of cholangiography • PUSC compares well with PTC in evaluating the dilated biliary tract. • Radiation is avoided and overall costs may be lower.
