Thin needle percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography - historical review.

In this review, the historical background of the development of the thin needle technique for percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography is described. History goes back to 1921 when cholangiography was first attempted via the gallbladder in Germany. Despite the subsequent progress, frequent bile leakage necessitated a turn to the transhepatic technique which was vastly improved by the introduction of the TV monitoring system. Finally, the development and refinement of the technique for percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography which occurred mainly in Japan, particularly at the Chiba University Hospital, first in the hands of surgeons and then internists, is detailed with references.