Cytologic bile examination in the diagnosis of biliary duct neoplastic strictures.

Cytodiagnosis of the bile is not frequently thought of as a method of obtaining a histopathologic diagnosis of the cause of a neoplastic biliary duct stricture. However, cells surrounding the biliary ducts are continuously exfoliated into bile and become available for cytologic examination whenever bile is collected. Nineteen patients with obstructive jaundice are reported. In seven of 15 with neoplastic biliary duct strictures, cytodiagnostic examination showed tumor cells. There were no false-positive results. The sensitivity of bile cytodiagnosis in this series was 47%, its specificity was 100%, and its accuracy was 58%.