[Interventional radiology in cancer of the exocrine pancreas and biliary tract]

Interventional radiology and operative endoscopy have considerably modified the diagnosis and treatment of neoplastic biliary obstruction. Ultrasound - or CT - guided needle biopsy provide a histological diagnosis without laparotomy. In almost every case, palliative treatment of jaundice can be performed by percutaneous stent insertion, due the combination of radiology and endoscopy. The major drawback of biliary drainage is the always possible distal obstruction of biliary stents.