cytological features of stagnant bile in patients with obstructive biliary disorders

ABSTRACT

Nineteen bile samples were aspirated during endoscopic cholangiography [ERCP] for patients with obstructive jaundice. The patients were assessed clinically, by laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasonography, ERCP, operative biopsy and by cytology to determine the cause for the obstruction and to evaluate the diagnostic celluiar features of bile cytology obtained during ERCP. The results of 19 cases consisted of 10 malignant cases, 5 benign and 4 atypical smears. The cytological features differentiating benign from malignant lesions gave quite encouraging results with respect to the reliability of diagnosis of bile samples particularly in association with ERCP, sensitivity 76.9%, specificity 87.5% and diagnostic accuracy 82.6%. Such a method can therefore be considered as a simple reliable, rapid method for preoperative evaluation of obstructive jaundice patients and for the early detection of malignancy in screening programs