Endoscopic balloon dilatation of biliary strictures.

The case of a 67-year-old woman who had a long history of recurrent cholangitis after repeated biliary tract surgery, and whose clinical course was complicated by the development of multiple biliary strictures and secondary biliary cirrhosis, is reported. Nasobiliary drainage was used to successfully decompress the biliary system and to control infection during an acute episode of cholangitis. Subsequent endoscopic, hydrostatic balloon dilatation of the major bile-duct strictures resulted in an improvement in her clinical condition which was supported by the results of biochemical tests.