percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography

Indications

• biliary disease
  • biliary carcinoma

Procedure

• insertion of a thin needle into the liver carrying a contrast medium into a bile duct in the liver, after which X-rays are taken to visualize anatomy of the biliary tract
• biliary obstruction may be alleviated by placement of a stent across biliary strictures

Complications

• generally more frequent than with ERCP
• infection, bleeding bile leaks

More general terms

• cholangiography

Additional terms

• endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)