Percutaneous minimally invasive treatment of malignant biliary strictures: current status

The concept of percutaneous management of malignant biliary obstruction has not significantly changed in the last two decades and is based on the successful drainage of bile toward the duodenum, which normalizes liver function and prevents the development of cholangitis and sepsis. However, patient survival has changed slightly in the last two decades due to the advance of the diagnostic methods, chemo-radiotherapy protocols, and minimally invasive local control of the disease. Bare metal stents have not improved; however, newly developed covered biliary stents have been designed, and there is now evidence supporting their use in the clinical practice. However, other novel devices that may potentially offer benefit to patients with malignant biliary obstruction have been developed, such as drug-eluting biliary stents and intraductal ablation devices, and first feasibility trials have been published that offer encouraging results. These new technological developments, in combination with increased patient survival, bring new exciting data in this constantly developing area. The purpose of this review article is to investigate the latest published evidence on percutaneous minimal invasive palliation of malignant biliary disease and to delineate current trends.