Sonographic monitoring of biliary endoprostheses.

Biliary drainage by endoprosthesis, inserted either transcutaneously or endoscopically, is as effective and better supported than percutaneous drainage, but harder to control. Forty-four patients with biliary or pancreatic carcinoma treated by endoprostheses were followed up by ultrasound. Sonography was effective in the demonstration of the drainage effectiveness and the detection of prosthetic dysfunction or eventual complications. Consequently, it may be considered a valuable method to complement the biochemical tests in the monitoring of endoprostheses.