Endoscopic Biliary Drainage of Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma is an uncommon malignancy which arises from biliary epithelial cells, anywhere along intraand extrahepatic biliary tract and can be divided into three groups by involved anatomy: intrahepatic, perihilar, and distal extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Cure can only be achieved by surgical resection. Because of initial diagnosis as advanced disease and recurrence despite surgery and resistance to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, overall prognosis is very poor. Hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC), also well known as Klatskin tumor, involves bile duct bifurcation area and/or both the right and left intrahepatic bile ducts, so it usually causes biliary obstruction at presentation. In the situations, biliary decompression is mandatory to relieve cholestatic symptoms, if the patients are not suitable for surgical resection because of advanced tumor stages or comorbidities. Here, it will be reviewed about endoscopic biliary drainage of HC.