Biliary Endoscopy for Benign and Malignant Biliary Strictures

Percutaneous endoscopy operated by interventional radiologists has the potential to become an effective tool to both help diagnose and treat benign and malignant biliary strictures. This is particularly true in cases where endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography fails or is not feasible due to surgically-altered anatomy. Both preoperative clinical and technical procedural factors must be taken into consideration when pursuing percutaneous endoscopy. In this article, clinical evaluation, perioperative management, and procedural techniques for biliary endoscopy for benign and malignant strictures are reviewed.