A Puzzling Case of Biliary Stricture with Calcified Liver Nodules

Tuberculous (TB) biliary stricture with calcified liver nodules rendering obstructive jaundice is a rare clinical phenomenon. Recently, we encountered a young patient with obstructive jaundice who was investigated in a general hospital. He was sent to our hospital for subsequent management after undergoing a series of investigations and biliary stenting. The radiological imagings performed revealed multiple calcified lesions in the liver with proximal bile duct strictures. Blood investigations, tumor markers and tuberculous work up were not remarkable. Subsequently, he underwent laparotomy and biliary reconstruction. Postoperatively, he was discharged well. Histopathological examination of the hepatoduodenal nodes showed chronic infections and granulomatous lymphadenitis, suspicious of a mycobacterium infection.

Tissue acquisition for diagnosis of proximal biliary lesions using endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration.

Objectives: To report the diagnostic yield and safety of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS FNA) for the evaluation of proximal bile duct lesions. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of data of the patients, who had undergone EUS for proximal bile duct lesions was done. FNA was performed from either the bile duct mass, enlarged node, or liver lesions. Outcome measures were the diagnostic yield of EUS FNA and adverse events. Results: From April 2011 to August 2018, 147 patients with suspected proximal bile duct malignancy underwent EUS. Mass lesion was seen in 133 (90.47%) patients. FNA was performed in 125 (85.03%) patients. The final diagnosis in patients undergoing EUS FNA was malignancy in 118, benign disease in six, and one patient was lost to follow up. EUS FNA confirmed the diagnosis in 103/118 patients with malignancy (sensitivity 87.28%); was false negative in 15/118 cases with malignancy, and was truly negative in all the six patients with benign disease (specificity 100%). Positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and the accuracy of EUS FNA were 100%, 28.57%, 87.90% respectively. No serious adverse event was reported, five patients had self-limiting pain. Conclusion: EUS FNA is a sensitive tool for the evaluation of proximal bile duct lesions. Low negative predictive value warrants further evaluation in patients with non-malignant findings on cytology.