Benign stricture of bilioenteric anastomosis after Whipple withsynthetic polypropylene suture

To the Editor:Biliary stricture formation at the bilioenteric anastomosis is an infrequent complication(2%-3%)after pancreaticoduodenectomy;the average presentation is within 13-14 months(range from 1 month to 9 years)after surgery[1,2].While the etiology is unknown,development of biliary stricture has shown to be more likely if a bile leak occurs in the postoperative period[3,4]and with younger patients[5].

Diagnosis and Management of Biliary Strictures after Deceased-Donor Liver Transplantation Based on Clinical Practice

Biliary complications are still the main complications for liver transplantation recipients. Biliary strictures comprise the major part of all biliary complications after deceased-donor liver transplantation (LT). Biliary strictures following LT are divided into anastomotic strictures (AS) and non-anastomotic strictures (NAS). A Limitation of current published researches is that most studies aren’t based on clinical practice. The aim of this review is to summarize risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis and management in post-LT biliary strictures.

Still elusive: Developments in the accurate diagnosis of indeterminate biliary strictures

Indeterminate biliary strictures pose a significant diagnostic dilemma for gastroenterologists.Despite advances in endoscopic techniques and instruments,it is difficult to differentiate between benign and malignant pathology.A positive histological diagnosis is always preferred prior to high risk hepatobiliary surgery,or to inform other types of therapy.Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreato-graphy with brushings has low sensitivity and despite significant improvements in instruments there is still an unacceptably high false negative rate.Other methods such as endoscopic ultrasound and cholangioscopy have improved diagnostic quality.In this review we explore the techniques available to aid accurate diagnosis of indeterminate biliary strictures and obtain accurate histology to facilitate clinical management.

Investigation of risk factors in the development of recurrent urethral stricture after internal urethrotomy

BACKGROUND Urethral stricture is a condition that often develops with trauma and results in narrowing of the urethral lumen.Although endoscopic methods are mostly used in its treatment,it has high recurrence rates.Therefore,open urethroplasty is recommended after unsuccessful endoscopic treatments.AIM To investigate the risk factors associated with urethral stricture recurrence.METHODS The data of male patients who underwent internal urethrotomy for urethral stricture between January 2017 and January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Demographic data,comorbidities,preoperative haemogram,and biochemical values obtained from peripheral blood and operative data were recorded.Patients were divided into two groups in terms of recurrence development;recurrence and non-recurrence.Initially recorded data were compared between the two groups.RESULTS A total of 303 patients were included in the study.The mean age of the patients was 66.6±13.6 years.The mean duration of recurrence development was 9.63±9.84(min-max:1-39)months in the recurrence group.Recurrence did not occur in non-recurrence group throughout the follow-up period with an average time of 44.15±24.07(min-max:12-84)months.In the comparison of both groups,the presence of diabetes mellitus(DM),hypertension(HT),and multiple comorbidi-ties were significantly higher in the recurrence(+)group(P=0.038,P=0.012,P=0.013).Blood group,postoperative use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,preoperative cystostomy,cause of stricture,iatrogenic cause of stricture,location and length of stricture,indwelling urinary cathater size and day of catheter removal did not differ between the two groups.No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of age,uroflowmetric maximum flow rate value,hemo-gram parameters,aspartate aminotransferase(AST),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),fasting blood sugar,creati-nine,glomerular filtration rate,neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio,platelet-lymphocyte ratio,lymphocyte-monocyte ratio,monocyte-lymphocyte ratio and AST/ALT ratios.CONCLUSION In patients with urethral stricture recurrence,only the frequency of DM and HT was high,while inflammation marker levels and stricture-related parameters were similar between the groups.

Sporadic gastrinoma with refractory benign esophageal stricture:A case report

BACKGROUND Gastrinoma is characterized by an excessive release of gastrin,leading to hypersecretion of gastric acid,subsequently resulting in recurrent peptic ulcers,chronic diarrhea,and even esophageal strictures.This case report aims to improve awareness and facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of gastrinoma by presenting a rare case of gastrinoma with refractory benign esophageal stricture(RBES).Additionally,it highlights the persistent challenges that gastroenterologists encounter in managing RBES.CASE SUMMARY This case demonstrates a patient with gastrinoma who developed RBES and complete esophageal obstruction despite management with maximal acid suppressive therapy,multiple endoscopic bougie dilations and endoscopic incisional therapy(EIT).CONCLUSION It is essential to diagnose gastrinoma as early as possible,as inadequately controlled acid secretion over an extended period increases the risk of developing severe esophageal strictures.In patients with esophageal strictures causing complete luminal obstruction,blind reopening EIT presents challenges and carries a high risk of perforation.

Treatment of benign rectal stricture caused by repeated anal insertion by endoscopy and balloon dilation:A case report

BACKGROUND Benign rectal strictures can be categorized as primary(disease-related)and secondary(surgical anastomosis-related).Secondary strictures arise from surgical complications,whereas primary strictures have diverse etiologies,including various inflammatory conditions.Benign strictures are usually managed by surgery and endoscopy.We present an unusual etiology of benign rectal stricture caused by the repeated insertion of foreign objects into the rectum for sexual purposes,resulting in rectal injury and subsequent chronic inflammation.CASE SUMMARY A 53-year-old man presented to the outpatient clinic of the Colorectal Surgery Department with symptoms of chronic constipation and bloody stools.The patient previously experienced rectal injury due to foreign object insertion for sexual purposes.Colonoscopy revealed benign circumferential narrowing of the rectum.He underwent treatment by endoscopic argon plasma coagulation and balloon dilation and follow-up as an outpatient for 4 months.A colonoscopy at the end of the follow-up period revealed no evidence of rectal stricture relapse.CONCLUSION A history of rectal injury,followed by chronic inflammation,should be considered in patients with benign rectal strictures.Management with endoscopic argon plasma coagulation and balloon dilation can prevent the need for surgical resection of benign rectal strictures.

Management of urethral strictures and stenosis caused by the endo-urological treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasiad-a single-center experience

Objective:Urethral stricture disease after endo-urological treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)is a sparsely described complication.We describe management of five categories of these strictures in this retrospective observational case series.Methods:One hundred and twenty-one patients presenting with symptoms of bladder outflow obstruction after endo-urological intervention for BPH from February 2016 to March 2019 were evaluated.Among them,76 were eligible for this study and underwent reconstructive surgery.Preoperative and postoperative assessments were done with symptom scores,uroflowmetry,ultrasound for post-void residue,and urethrogram.Any intervention during follow-up was classed as a failure.The recurrence and 95%confidence interval for recurrence percentage were calculated.Results:The following five categories of patients were identified:Bulbo-membranous(33[43.4%]),navicular fossa(21[27.6%]),penile/peno-bulbar(8[10.5%]),bladder neck stenosis(6[7.9%]),and multiple locations(8[10.5%]).The average age was 69 years(range:60-84 years).Overall average symptom score,flow rate,and post-void residue changed from 21 to 7,6 mL/s to 19 mL/s,and 210 mL to 20 mL,respectively.The average follow-up was 34 months(range:12-58 months).Overall recurrence and complication rates were 10.5%and 9.2%,respectively.The recurrence in each category was seen in 3,1,2,1,and 1 patient,respectively.Overall 95% confidence interval for recurrence percentage was 4.66-19.69.Conclusion:Urethral stricture disease is a major long-term complication of endo-urological treatment of BPH.The bulbo-membranous strictures need continence preserving approach.Navicular fossa strictures require minimally invasive and cosmetic consideration.Peno-bulbar strictures require judicious use of grafts and flaps.Bladder neck stenosis in this cohort could be treated with endoscopic measures.Multiple locations need treatment based on their sites in single-stage as far as possible.

Clinical approach to indeterminate biliary strictures:Clinical presentation,diagnosis,and workup

Despite advances in cross-sectional imaging and endoscopic technology,bile duct strictures remain a challenging clinical entity.It is crucial to make an early determination of benign or malignant nature of biliary strictures.Early diagnosis not only helps with further management but also minimizes mortality and morbidity associated with delayed diagnosis.Conventional imaging and endoscopic techniques,particularly endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)and tissue sampling techniques play a key in establishing a diagnosis.Indeterminate biliary strictures(IDBSs)have no definite mass on imaging or absolute histopathological diagnosis and often warrant utilization of multiple diagnostics to ascertain an etiology.In this review,we discuss possible etiologies,clinical presentation,diagnosis,and management of IDBSs.Based on available data and expert opinion,we depict an evidence based diagnostic algorithm for management of IDBSs.Areas of focus include use of traditional tissue sampling techniques such as ERCP with brush cytology,intraductal biopsies,fluorescence in situ hybridization and flow cytometry.We also describe the role of endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided fine needle aspiration and biopsies,cholangioscopy,confocal laser endomicroscopy,and intraductal EUS in management of IDBSs.

Double-face urethroplasty in patients with obliterative bulbar strictures post-transurethral resection of the prostate mid-term outcomes in high-volume referral center

Objective Incidences of post-transurethral resection of the prostate(post-TURP)strictures are between 2.2%and 9.8%.Stricture commonly occurs within the first 6 months.Our objective was to assess the outcomes of patients with obliterative strictures post-TURP that underwent a double-face urethroplasty.Methods This is a single-center prospective study of 17 patients with obliterative proximal bulbar stricture post-TURP who underwent double-face graft urethroplasty by two surgeons between January 2014 and January 2020.We defined post-TURP obliterative strictures as those patients who presented with complete or almost complete obstruction of the urethral lumen and who have had a history of acute urine retention.We have excluded patients with bladder neck contracture.Primary outcome was treatment success,defined as the no need for further treatments.Secondary outcome was post-urethroplasty continent rate.Results Seventeen patients were included in the study with median age of 66(interquartile range 40-77)years;median time of follow-up was 24(interquartile range 12-84)months;median stricture length was 4(interquartile range 2-6)cm.Of the 17 patients,15(88.2%)were successful.All patients were continent after urethroplasty.Conclusion With mid-term follow-up,treatment of obliterative proximal bulbar strictures with double-face buccal mucosa graft is a safe and effective procedure.Obliterative proximal bulbar strictures merit double-face urethroplasty with high-rate success and functional outcomes.

Direct Visual Internal Urethrotomy (DVIU) in the Management of Male Urethral Strictures. A Single Center Experience about 44 Patients

Introduction: Male urethral stricture is one of the oldest urological disorders. Many techniques have been proposed to treat them, including endoscopic internal urethrotomy (DVIU). Material and Methods: To evaluate the contribution of this technique in the treatment of urethra narrowing, a retrospective study on the records of patients with urethral stricture treated with endoscopic internal urethrotomy between January 2014 and December 2021 in the urology division of the Souro Sanou University Teaching Hospital. Results: A total of 44 male patients with urethral stricture were treated with this technique and 48 procedures were performed. The average age of the patients was 53.2 ± 18.2 years. The etiology of the stricture was dominated by iatrogenic, infectious, traumatic and idiopathic causes in 43.2% (n = 19), 27.3% (n = 12), 20.4 % (n = 9), and 9.1% (n = 4) respectively. The location of the stricture was bulbar in 72.7%, and the anterior penile urethra in 15.9%. The overall success rate was 72.7% with satisfactory urination without dysuria, evaluated after removal of the urinary catheter, at three months this rate fell to 69.1%, and at 6 months this rate was 67.5%. Five cases (5) of extravasation of blood or irrigation fluid into the scrotum were reported and managed conservatively as well as two (2) cases of false routes with postoperative oedema of the penis were observed. Conclusion: DVIU is a simple technique, free of major morbidity and requiring only short-term hospitalization. It can be proposed as a first-line treatment for urethral stricture.

Tunica albuginea versus buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty for anterior urethral stricture: A prospective randomised pilot study

Objective:The objective of the study was to compare the outcome of tunica albuginea urethroplasty(TAU)and buccal mucosa graft(BMG)urethroplasty for anterior urethral stricture.Methods:Thirty patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomised into two groups:TAU(Group A)and BMG urethroplasty(Group B).Surgical outcome was evaluated with pre-and post-operative work-up involving retrograde urethrogram,voiding cystourethrogram,uroflowmetry,and urethroscopy.Patients were followed up till 1 year.Results:Mean duration of surgery was statistically significant between two groups(p=0.0005).Maximum urine flow rate was comparable when compared between two groups(p=0.22)but statistically significant when compared pre-and post-operatively(p<0.001).At follow-up of 1 year,the successful outcomes were 80% in Group A and 87%in Group B.A total of five patients who had unsuccessful results required redo urethroplasty.Complications were minimal in both the groups.Conclusion:TAU provides outcomes equivalent to those of BMG urethroplasty.TAU has less operative time,easy to perform,and beneficial in patients with poor oral hygiene.

Minimally invasive surgery for post cholecystectomy biliary stricture:current evidence and future perspectives

Postcholecystectomy bile duct injury(BDI)remains a devastating iatrogenic complication that adversely impacts the quality of life with high healthcare costs.Despite a decrease in the incidence of laparoscopic cholecystectomy-related BDI,the absolute number remains high as cholecystectomy is a commonly performed surgical procedure.Open Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy with meticulous surgical technique remains the gold standard surgical procedure with excellent longterm results in most patients.As with many hepatobiliary disorders,a minimally invasive approach has been recently explored to minimize access-related complications and improve postoperative recovery.Since patients with gallstone disease are often admitted for a minimally invasive cholecystectomy,laparoscopic and robotic approaches for repairing postcholecystectomy biliary stricture are attractive.While recent series have shown the feasibility and safety of minimally invasive post-cholecystectomy biliary stricture management,most are retrospective analyses with small sample sizes.Also,long-term follow-up is avail-able only in a limited number of studies.The principles and technique of minimally invasive repair resemble open repair except for the extent of adhesiolysis and the suturing technique with continuous sutures commonly used in minimally invasive approaches.The robotic approach overcomes key limitations of laparoscopic surgery and has the potential to become the preferred minimally invasive approach for the repair of postcholecystectomy biliary stricture.Despite increasing use,lack of prospective studies and selection bias with available evidence precludes definitive conclusions regarding minimally invasive surgery for managing postcholecystectomy biliary stricture.High-volume prospective studies are required to confirm the initial promising outcomes with minimally invasive surgery.

Male Urethral Stricture: Epidemiological, Clinical, and Therapeutic Aspects in Kara

Background: Urethral stricture is a pathology frequently encountered in urological practice. Management is often surgical, with possible recurrences. What about this pathology in Kara, a semi-urban city? Objective: Assess the management of male urethral stricture in Kara. Patients and Methods: This was a descriptive study with retrospective data collection. The study took place in the urology department of the teaching hospital of Kara, from December 2020 to December 2022. All cases of male urethral stricture, surgically treated at the teaching hospital of Kara, were listed. The inclusion criteria were as follows: any patient who had been treated surgically for male urethral stricture in the urology department of the teaching Hospital of Kara. The operating theater register and hospital records were used to collect the data. The diagnosis of urethral stricture had been made with retrograde urethrogram. A total of 24 patients were treated for male urethral stricture during the study period. The following variables were studied: age, reason for consultation, location, length, and etiology of the stricture;the type of treatment received: optical internal urethrotomy, or anastomotic urethroplasty, and the results. The result was considered good if, after removal of the urethral catheter, the patient regained his micturition without the need for dilatation;the result was considered average if, after removal of the urethral catheter, the patient needed one or more dilatation sessions to regain urination;the result was considered poor if, after removal of the catheter, the patient did not regain good micturition despite the urethral dilatation sessions. Microsoft excel and epi info 7 software were used for data processing. Results: The average age of our patients was 43.7 years ± 10.18 with extremes ranging from 27 to 70 years. The most represented age groups were that of 40 to 50 years, with 37.5% of cases;and that of 30 to 40 years with 33.3% of cases. The patients had consulted for urine retention in 66.6% of cases;the location of urethral stricture was bulbar in 45.8% of cases. The most found etiology was infectious in 58.3% of cases. Among our patients, 58.3% had received optical internal urethrotomy as treatment, while 41.6% of our patients had received anastomotic urethroplasty as treatment. Postoperatively, after removal of the urinary catheter, 87.5% of patients had benefited from one or repeated dilatation. In terms of results, we had a good result in 20.8% of patients;the result was average in 45.8% of patients, and poor in 33.3% of patients. The average duration of follow-up was 14.3 +/- 7.2 months (3-27). Conclusion: Male urethral stricture mainly affects young adults in Kara. Surgical management is done by optical internal urethrotomy and/or anastomotic urethroplasty.

Endoscopic management of benign biliary strictures:Looking for the best stent to place

Benign biliary strictures(BBS)might occur due to different pancreaticobiliary conditions.The etiology and location of biliary strictures are responsible of a wide array of clinical manifestations.The endoscopic approach endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography represents the first-line treatment for BBS,considering interventional radiology and surgery when endoscopic treatment fails or it is not suitable.The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of possible endoscopic treatments for the optimal management of this subset of patients.

Changing trends in the minimally invasive surgery for corrosive esophagogastric stricture

Esophagogastric stricture is the troublesome long-term complication of corrosive ingestion with a significant adverse impact on the quality of life.Surgery remains the mainstay of therapy in patients where endoscopic treatment is not feasible or fails to dilate the stricture.Conventional surgical management of esophageal stricture is open esophageal bypass using gastric or colon conduit.Colon is the commonly used esophageal substitute,particularly in those with high pharyngoesophageal strictures and in patients with accompanying gastric strictures.Traditionally colon bypass is performed using an open technique that requires a long midline incision from the xiphisternum to the suprapubic area,with adverse cosmetic outcomes and long-term complications like an incisional hernia.As most of the affected patients are in the second or third decade of life minimally invasive approach is an attractive proposition.However,minimally invasive surgery for corrosive esophagogastric stricture is slow to evolve due to the complex nature of the surgical procedure.With advancements in laparoscopic skills and instrumentation,the feasibility and safety of minimally invasive surgery in corrosive esophagogastric stricture have been documented.Initial series have mainly used a laparoscopic-assisted approach,whereas more recent studies have shown the safety of a total laparoscopic approach.The changing trend from laparoscopic assisted procedure to a totally minimally invasive technique for corrosive esophagogastric stricture should be carefully disseminated to preclude adverse longterm outcomes.Also,well-designed trials with long-term follow-ups are required to document the superiority of minimally invasive surgery for corrosive esophagogastric stricture.The present review focuses on the challenges and changing trends in the minimally invasive treatment of corrosive esophagogastric stricture.

Combined treatment of refractory benign stricture after esophageal endoscopic mucosal dissection:A case report

BACKGROUND Endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)post-procedure stricture is a relatively common long-term complication following ESD treatment.A range of approaches has been implemented for the treatment of post-procedural stricture using endoscopic techniques such as endoscopic dilation,self-expandable metallic stent insertion,local steroid injection in the esophagus,oral steroid administration,radial incision and cutting(RIC).The actual efficacy of these different therapeutic options is highly variable,and uniform international standards for the prevention or treatment of stricture.CASE SUMMARY In this report,we describe the case of a 51-year-old male diagnosed with early esophageal cancer.To protect against esophageal stricture,the patient was administered oral steroids and underwent self-expandable metallic stent insertion for 45 d.Despite these interventions,stricture was detected at the lower edge of the stent following its removal.The patient remained refractory to multiple rounds of endoscopic bougie dilation treatment,and thus suffered from complex refractory benign esophageal stricture.As such,RIC combined with bougie dilation and steroid injection was employed to treat this patient more effectively,ultimately achieving satisfactory therapeutic efficacy.CONCLUSION Combination of RIC,dilation,and steroid injection can be safely and effectively implemented to treat cases of post-ESD refractory esophageal stricture.

Phallic rubber band application to prevent enuresis unusual cause of urethral stricture in a child:A case report

BACKGROUND Urethral stricture is the abnormal narrowing of the urethra due to spongiofibrosis.The established aetiological factors for urethral stricture abound in our environment.However,the application of a penile rubber band to prevent enuresis thereby causing this pathology is not a familiar occurrence.Patients with enuresis can suffer psycho-social challenges and trauma,especially for a child due to peer stigmatization.This has a great impact on the child's psyche and may affect even his performance at school.The aim of this paper is to highlight the psychosocial impact and management challenges of a child with enuresis(nocturnal urinary incontinence).CASE SUMMARY This is the case of a 10-year-old boy who presented with a history of nocturnal urinary incontinence since birth and lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS)for 3 years culminating in chronic urinary retention.He maintained a normal urge to micturate and continent of urine during the daytime before the onset of LUTS.He had an antecedent longstanding history of tying a rubber band to the penile shaft mostly before going to the bed at night to prevent enuresis due to his peer stigmatization.He was acutely ill-looking,with distended suprapubic region.The phallus and scrotum were enlarged and oedematous with a circumferential proximal penile shaft scar and ventral penile shaft urethrocutaneous fistula.He was diagnosed to have complete short segment bulbopenile stricture and right ectopic ureter.He subsequent had augmented anastomotic urethroplasty and bilateral non-refluxing ureteroneocystostomy at different sitting.CONCLUSION The adherence to surgical principles of urethral stricture and enuresis management where surgically correctable in a child is associated with the resolution of enuresis and social reintegration.

Pediatric stricturing Crohn's disease

Crohn’s disease(CD)is a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract.The incidence of pediatric CD is increasing and is currently 2.5-11.4 per 100000 world-wide.Notably,approximately 25%of children with CD develop stricturing CD(SCD)that requires intervention.Symptomatic stricturing diseases refractory to pharmacological management frequently require non-pharmacological interventions.Non-pharmacological therapeutic strategies include endoscopic balloon dilatation,stricturoplasty,and surgical resection of the strictured seg-ment.However,strictures tend to recur postoperatively regardless of treatment modality.The lifetime risk of surgery in patients with childhood SCD remains at 50%-90%.Thus,new and emerging strategies,advanced diagnostic tools,and minimally invasive approaches are under investigation to improve the outcomes and overall quality of life of pediatric patients with SCD.

Outcomes of treatment of male urethral stricture：a multivariate analysis

目的：分析外伤性和前列腺术后尿道狭窄各种治疗方法的优缺点及影响因素，为临床上合理选择治疗方式、减少狭窄复发提出有益建议。方法：对本科64例外伤性和59例前列腺术后的尿道狭窄初次治疗共123例进行回顾性多因素分析。结果：64例外伤性尿道狭窄患者中，尿扩22例，20例（90．9％）复发；尿道内切开21例，16例（76．2％）复发；尿道端端吻合21例，4例（19％）复发；59例前列腺术后尿道狭窄中，尿扩16例，15例（93．6％）复发；尿道内切开37例，5例（13．5％）复发；6例切开膀胱行膀胱颈疤痕切开切除膀胱颈整形术，3例（50％）复发。结论：①经尿道疤痕切开切除治疗外伤性尿道狭窄，其疗效与狭窄长度有关，狭窄长度〈2cm复发率低，〉2121／1则复发率高。②尿道疤痕切除端端吻合治疗外伤性尿道狭窄，其疗效与狭窄长度、狭窄部位、既往手术史无关，与手术本身有关，即术中如彻底切除狭窄疤痕及坏死组织、吻合无张力则复发率低，反之则高。⑧尿扩适用于尿道黏膜下狭窄，不适用于合并有尿道海绵体纤维化的尿道狭窄。④尿道内切开是治疗前列腺术后尿道狭窄的首选方法且疗效好。

Intraductal ultrasound substantiates diagnostics of bile duct strictures of uncertain etiology

AIM:To report the largest patient cohort study investigating the diagnostic yield of intraductal ultrasound (IDUS) in indeterminate strictures of the common bile duct.METHODS:A patient cohort with bile duct strictures of unknown etiology was examined by IDUS.Sensitivity,specificity and accuracy rates of IDUS were calculated relating to the definite diagnoses proved by histopathology or long-term follow-up in those patients who did not undergo surgery.Analysis of the endosonographic report allowed drawing conclusions with respect to the T and N staging in 147 patients.IDUS staging was compared to the postoperative histopathological staging data allowing calculation of sensitivity,specificity and accuracy rates for T and N stages.The endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography and IDUS procedures were performed under fluoroscopic guidance using a side-viewing duodenoscope (Olympus TJF 160,Olympus,Ltd.,Tokyo,Japan).All procedures were performed under conscious sedation (propofol combined with pethidine) according to the German guidelines.For IDUS,a 6 F or 8 F ultrasound miniprobe was employed with a radial scanner of 15-20 MHz at the tip of the probe (Aloka Co.,Tokyo,Japan).RESULTS:A total of 397 patients (210 males,187 females,mean age 61.43 ± 13 years) with indeterminate bile duct strictures were included.Two hundred and sixty-four patients were referred to the department of surgery for operative exploration,thus surgical histopathological correlation was available for those patients.Out of 264 patients,174 had malignant disease proven by surgery,in 90 patients benign disease was found.In these patients decision for surgical exploration was made due to suspicion for malignant disease in multimodal diagnostics (computed tomography scan,endoscopic ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging).Twenty benign bile duct strictures were misclassified by IDUS as malignant while 14 patients with malignant strictures were initially misdiagnosed by IDUS as benign resulting in sensitivity,specificity and accuracy ratesof 93.2%,89.5% and 91.4%,respectively.In the subgroup analysis of malignancy prediction,IDUS showed best performance in cholangiocellular carcinoma as underlying disease (sensitivity rate,97.6%) followed by pancreatic carcinoma (93.8%),gallbladder cancer (88.9%) and ampullary cancer (80.8%).A total of 133 patients were not surgically explored.32 patients had palliative therapy due to extended tumor disease in IDUS and other imaging modalities.Ninety-five patients had benign diagnosis by IDUS,forceps biopsy and radiographic imaging and were followed by a surveillance protocol with a follow-up of at least 12 mo;the mean follow-up was 39.7 mo.Tumor localization within the common bile duct did not have a significant influence on prediction of malignancy by IDUS.The accuracy rate for discriminating early T stage tumors (T1) was 84% while for T2 and T3 malignancies the accuracy rates were 73% and 71%,respectively.Relating to N0 and N1 staging,IDUS procedure achieved accuracy rates of 69% for N0 and N1,respectively.Limitations:Pretest likelihood of 52% may not rule out bias and overinterpretation due to the clinical scenario or other prior performed imaging tests.CONCLUSION:IDUS shows good results for accurate diagnostics of bile duct strictures of uncertain etiology thus allowing for adequate further clinical management.