Diagnosis of pyogenic hepatic abscesses by percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography.

Four of 83 patients undergoing percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography were demonstrated to have hepatic abscesses communicating with the biliary tract. The abscesses resulted from obstruction of the common bile duct. The etiologies of the obstructions were chronic pancreatitis, recurrent cholangiocarcinoma. Radiographic demonstration of suppurative cholangitis is associated with a very poor prognosis.