Diagnosing Biliary Strictures

Biliary strictures caused by inflammation or fibrosis lead to jaundice and cholangitis which often make it difficult to distinguish malignant strictures. In cases when malignancy cannot be excluded, surgery is often performed. The concept of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)–related sclerosing cholangitis (SC) as a benign biliary stricture was recently proposed. The high prevalence of the disease in Asian countries has resulted in multiple diagnostic and...