Therapeutic alternatives in the treatment of intrahepatic biliary obstruction.

Intrahepatic biliary obstruction was treated in 60 patients (49 with cholangiocarcinoma and 11 with sclerosing cholangitis) who were classified according to the upper limit of their obstruction (Group I, proximal common hepatic duct; Group 2, right and left main hepatic ducts; Group 3, intrahepatic bile ducts). Thirty-six patients underwent percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, and 14 underwent catheterization through a T-tube track, Five of this latter group had the T-tube placed to establish a route of access for later interventional radiologic manipulations. Since most diseases that produce intrahepatic biliary obstruction are progressive, the use of any single approach is limited. The advantages of a surgically created route of access combined with the flexibility of interventional radiologic techniques help to maximize the therapy and extend the palliation that many of these patients receive.