Ultrasonically guided percutaneous transhepatic bile drainage: a single-step procedure without cholangiography.

Percutaneous transhepatic bile drainage under real-time ultrasonic guidance was performed in 16 patients (21 procedures) without cholangiography. All bile ducts were successfully intubated. Merits of ultrasonically guided percutaneous transhepatic bile drainage are (a) the fact that only a single step is involved, without thin-needle cholangiography; (b) no contrast medium is injected; (c) the left-sided approach permits longer intubation; and (d) irradiation is not employed.