[The practical value of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography in biliary complications after liver transplantation].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the practical value of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) in biliary complications after liver transplantation.

METHODS

The data of 71 biliary complications after liver transplantation were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were diagnosed and treated by ERC in our center from October 2003 to March 2006. The biliary complications included 52 cases of biliary stricture, 6 biliary leakage and 13 biliary stone.

RESULTS

The diagnostic rate of ERC for biliary stricture, leakage and stone was 98.1% (51/52), 100% (6/6) and 100% (13/13), respectively. The cure rate of interventional therapy through therapeutic ERC for anastomotic, extrahepatic, hilar, intrahepatic and diffuse biliary stricture was 66.7% (4/6), 66.7% (10/15), 0 (0/7), 0 (0/2) and 0 (0/21), respectively. And that for biliary leakage, common bile duct and intrahepatic bile duct stone was 66.7% (4/6), 77.8% (7/9) and 0 (0/4), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

ERC is effective for diagnosis of biliary complications after liver transplantation. The effect of interventional therapy through ERC varies with the type of biliary complications. Only part of biliary complications (anastomotic stricture, extrahepatic biliary stricture, gently and moderate biliary leakage, common bile duct stone) can be cured by interventional therapy through ERC.