[Utility of percutaneous biliary drainage in patients with hepatic hilar carcinoma in reference to prognosis and associated complication].

We investigated prognosis in 48 patients with hepatic hilar carcinoma (35 treated with percutaneous biliary drainage (PBD) and 13 without PBD) and complication associated with PBD. Survival rate in 20 patients who had no cholangitis within 1 month after PBD was significantly superior to that in 15 patients with cholangitis. The former was 51.9% at 6 months and 13.0% at 1 year. We thought that this result would be helpful in estimating prognosis in patients with hepatic hilar carcinoma treated with combined therapy. Cholangitis within 1 month after PBD was caused from inadequate drainage for separated intrahepatic bile ducts, ERC before PBD and dislodgement of drainage catheter. Survival rate in patients with PBD not accompanied by cholangitis in 1 month after was superior to that in those without PBD. So we thought that PBD could improve prognosis in patients with hepatic hilar carcinoma if they had no cholangitis within 1 month after PBD.