[Malignant biliary obstruction, general review and clinical practice]. / Obstructions néoplasiques des voies biliaires : revue de la littérature et conduites pratiques.

This review recalls the clinical, anatomic, physiopathological and etiological features necessary in the management of patients with neoplastic bile duct obstruction and exposes the current practice concerning endoscopic and radiologic palliative drainage. Clinical practice according to the clinical situations is explained. This review exposes complications management for patients having undergone an endoscopic or percutaneous drainage of the biliary ducts, the particular case of periportal stenosis, the respective indications of endoscopic and transhepatic percutaneous drainage, usual immediate evolution according to the type of the stenosis and the technique used as well as the management in case of stent obstruction.

Comparison of a standard fully covered stent with a super-thick silicone-covered stent for the treatment of refractory esophageal benign strictures: A prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Some esophageal strictures resist endoscopic treatments. There is a need for new treatments, such as specifically designed stents. OBJECTIVE: Our study sought to compare the results achieved with a standard, fully covered metallic stent (FCMS) and those achieved using a stent designed specifically for benign strictures (BS-FCMS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study used a prospective, multicenter, controlled design, with patients recruited from tertiary referral centers. Patients with refractory esophageal strictures were included. Standard FCMS were used in group 1 (N = 24), and BS-FCMS were used in group 2 (N = 17). Patients were followed for 24 months after stent removal. The main outcomes measured were stricture resolution rate, 24 months' recurrence rate and stent-related morbidity. RESULTS: Early stent migrations occurred in one (4.1%) patient from group 1 and five (29.4%) from group 2 (p < 0.05). During esophageal stenting, complications occurred in six patients (25%) in group 1 and six patients (35.3%) in group 2 (p = 0.47), respectively. Fifty percent of complications were attributed to migration. There was no procedure-related morbidity associated with the extraction of the stent. The stricture resolution rate was, respectively, 95.2% in group 1 and 87.5% in group 2 (the difference between the two groups is not significant). During follow-up, stricture recurrence occurred in 15/19 patients (group 1, 79%) and 7/8 patients (group 2, 87.5%; p = 1.0). The median time to recurrence of esophageal stricture was 1.7 months (group 1, 0.6-12 months) and 1 month (group 2, 0.1-6 months). Study limitations include its nonrandomized design. CONCLUSION: The stricture resolution rate was high at the end of the stenting period for both types of stents without any statistical difference between the two groups, but the long-term results were disappointing, with stricture recurring frequently and rapidly in both groups.