BACKGROUND: To date, no studies have sought to determine the frequency of malignancy in patients presenting with a putative biliary stricture and normal liver function tests (LFTs). The primary aim of this retrospective cohort study was to determine the likelihood of malignancy in patients presenting with a biliary stricture and normal LFTs, a normal bilirubin level either alone or in combination with normal levels of liver enzymes [alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alanine transaminase (ALT)]. A secondary aim was to determine any clinical/biochemical/sonographic features that may be associated with malignancy. METHODS: Patients presenting over a 10-year period were included. Fifteen variables were analysed to determine their association with malignant disease. RESULTS: Eight hundred and thirty patients with putative biliary strictures were included. Primary hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) cancers presented with a normal bilirubin and normal liver enzymes (ALP and ALT) in 6% of cases. Patients with a putative biliary stricture and a normal bilirubin level whose final diagnoses were pancreatic cancer, ampullary cancer, distal cholangiocarcinoma and hilar cholangiocarcinoma represented 21%, 13%, 7% and 9% of individuals diagnosed with these pathologies, respectively. Hypoalbuminaemia and isolated intrahepatic duct dilatation on ultrasound were significantly associated with malignancy in patients with normal bilirubin and completely normal LFTs. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that patients with a putative biliary stricture and completely normal LFTs are unlikely to have a primary HPB malignancy. Those presenting with a normal bilirubin level, but deranged liver enzymes (ALP and/or ALT), are more likely to have malignant disease, and this should necessitate a higher degree of clinical suspicion.
BACKGROUND: To date, no studies have sought to determine the frequency of malignancy in patients presenting with a putative biliary stricture and normal liver function tests (LFTs). The primary aim of this retrospective cohort study was to determine the likelihood of malignancy in patients presenting with a biliary stricture and normal LFTs, a normal bilirubin level either alone or in combination with normal levels of liver enzymes [alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alanine transaminase (ALT)]. A secondary aim was to determine any clinical/biochemical/sonographic features that may be associated with malignancy. METHODS:Patients presenting over a 10-year period were included. Fifteen variables were analysed to determine their association with malignant disease. RESULTS: Eight hundred and thirty patients with putative biliary strictures were included. Primary hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) cancers presented with a normal bilirubin and normal liver enzymes (ALP and ALT) in 6% of cases. Patients with a putative biliary stricture and a normal bilirubin level whose final diagnoses were pancreatic cancer, ampullary cancer, distal cholangiocarcinoma and hilar cholangiocarcinoma represented 21%, 13%, 7% and 9% of individuals diagnosed with these pathologies, respectively. Hypoalbuminaemia and isolated intrahepatic duct dilatation on ultrasound were significantly associated with malignancy in patients with normal bilirubin and completely normal LFTs. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that patients with a putative biliary stricture and completely normal LFTs are unlikely to have a primary HPB malignancy. Those presenting with a normal bilirubin level, but deranged liver enzymes (ALP and/or ALT), are more likely to have malignant disease, and this should necessitate a higher degree of clinical suspicion.
Authors: John DeWitt; Vijay Laxmi Misra; Julia Kim Leblanc; Lee McHenry; Stuart Sherman Journal: Gastrointest Endosc Date: 2006-09 Impact factor: 9.427
Authors: Thomas Rösch; Kim Hofrichter; Eckart Frimberger; Alexander Meining; Peter Born; Norbert Weigert; Hans-Dieter Allescher; Meinhard Classen; Marius Barbur; Ulrich Schenck; Martin Werner Journal: Gastrointest Endosc Date: 2004-09 Impact factor: 9.427
Authors: Kofi W Oppong; Vikramjit Mitra; John Scott; Kirsty Anderson; Richard M Charnley; Stuart Bonnington; Bryon Jaques; Steven White; Jeremy J French; Derek M Manas; Gourab Sen; Manu K Nayar Journal: Scand J Gastroenterol Date: 2014-01-28 Impact factor: 2.423
Authors: Łukasz Krupa; Robert Staroń; Dorota Dulko; Natalia Łozińska; Alan R Mackie; Neil M Rigby; Adam Macierzanka; Aleksandra Markiewicz; Christian Jungnickel Journal: Molecules Date: 2021-11-30 Impact factor: 4.411