Thin needle cholangiography: experience with 50 patients.

Thin needle cholangiography (TNC) was performed in 50 patients with obstructive jaundice or jaundice of obscure origin. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy and safety of this procedure. TNC was performed by the technique described by Redeker et al. using the Chiba needle (JAMA 231:386, 1975). Obstructed ducts were successfully demonstrated in 100% of cases (29/29). Non-obstructed ducts were opacified in 12/21 (57%). Overall success was 82% (41/50). Two septic complications occurred. It is concluded that 1) TNC is a highly reliable, easy to perform and safe procedure in the evaluation of the jaundiced patient; 2) Accurate demonstration of the biliary anatomy by TNC provided important information which often in (10/50 = 20%) led to a change in diagnosis, avoidance of unnecessary procedures, and shortening of hospitalization; 3) Failure to visualize patients with non-dilated biliary ducts occurred with advanced chronic liver disease or fatty liver.