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A Case with Intrahepatic Stones followed up for Over 22 Years after Complete Cholangioscopic Stone Extraction
Author(s) -
YAMAKAWA Tatsuo,
NAOE Tetsuro,
KASUGAI Hisashi,
ISHIYAMA Junji,
MARUNO Kaname
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
digestive endoscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.5
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1443-1661
pISSN - 0915-5635
DOI - 10.1111/j.1443-1661.1999.tb00216.x
Subject(s) - medicine , therapeutic endoscopy , intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma , percutaneous , biliary tract , therapeutic approach , radiology , therapeutic effect , general surgery , surgery , endoscopy , disease
In this paper, we describe the technological know‐how, diagnostic and therapeutic significance of cholangioscopy. In addition, a case who had had recurrent stones after 22 years in the sites different to those of the previous stones was presented, and therapeutic strategy for the management of intrahepatic stones was discussed. The main value of cholangioscopy lies in the fact that retained or unsuspected stones are readily removed with endoscopically‐guided instruments. Moreover, cholangioscopy not only resolves the question as to the presence or the absence of stones, but also indicates inflammation or minute carcinomatous lesions in the biliary tract which would otherwise go undetected. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy is especially useful for management of intrahepatic stones, because it provides very important information on the location and extent of lesions which is necessary for deciding appropriate therapeutic procedures. The authors firmly believe that better therapeutic results of biliary surgery can be expected if this reliable endoscopic approach becomes more routinely used by surgeons. (Dig Endosc 1999; 11: 169–173)