Diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility of endoscopic bile duct brushing in the evaluation of biliary strictures.

Pathologic evidence of malignancy in biliary strictures is useful in the preoperative setting because it helps define therapeutic planning and prognosis. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility of endoscopic bile duct brushings in the evaluation of bile duct strictures. We retrospectively evaluated 34 endoscopic biliary brushings derived from 31 patients with bile duct strictures. Relevant clinical and follow-up data were collected. Histologic specimens were reviewed in patients undergoing subsequent biopsies. Patients included 18 men and 13 women with an age range of 25 to 79 years (mean, 52 years). All patients had histologic and/or clinical follow-up. Cytologic diagnosis included cholangiocarcinoma (14.7%), suspicious for cholangiocarcinoma (5.9%), atypical hyperplasia (17.6%), and negative for malignancy (61.7%). All positive diagnoses were confirmed by histologic testing (false-positive rate, 0%). The cases that were suspicious for cholangiocarcinoma and the 5 atypical hyperplasia cases were also subsequently diagnosed as cholangiocarcinoma by biopsy. One atypical case was diagnosed as pancreatic carcinoma. All 21 negative cases were confirmed by biopsies (15) and clinical follow-up (6) (false-negative rate, 20%). Endoscopic bile duct brushing is diagnostically accurate and hence clinically useful in the management of patients with bile duct strictures. Atypical hyperplasias may contribute to diagnostic pitfalls leading to false-positive and false-negative diagnoses.