To Evaluate the Effectiveness of Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage in Relief of Symptomology in Malignant Obstruction

Malignancies leading to obstructive jaundice present too late to perform surgery with a curative intent. Despite technological advances, only 20 % of periampullary tumors are found to be resectable at the time of presentation due to their invasiveness, late symptom appearance and onset in elderly people (1, 2, 3). Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are widely used palliative procedures for malignant biliary obstruction (4, 5). Patients with hilar neoplasm (Klatskin tumor) may be better managed by a percutaneous approach. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is a procedure to drain the bile ducts in the presence of a blockage or damage that prevents normal bile drainage. It has been shown that even if only 30 % of the liver parenchyma is drained, it provides adequate palliation to relieve jaundice and associated pruritus (5, 6).