The Diagnostic Value of Endoscopic Balloon Catheter Usage for Detecting Early-Stage Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis in Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Case Report

A 34-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic with abdominal pain, jaundice and pruritus. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was performed for cholestasis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was judged as normal, after a standard ERCP cannula was used for the cholangiogram. However, marked canalicular irregularities were identified in cholangiography when pressurized contrast agent was administrated via balloon catheter. This cholangiographic view was thought to reveal an early-stage alteration of sclerosing cholangitis. Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease characterized by destruction and fibrosis of the bile ducts. The diagnosis of PSC is based on typical cholangiographic findings, supported by nonspecific clinical signs and symptoms, cholestatic liver biochemical tests, and liver biopsy. Cholangiography is considered to be the gold standard for the diagnosis of PSC. The diagnosis is easy when diffuse multifocal biliary strictures, the hallmarks of the disease, resulting in a ‘beaded’ appearance on ERCP is detected. However, it may reveal a normal image in an early stage of the disease when bile duct changings are not prominent. We think that balloon catheter ERCP appears to facilitate the diagnosis of early-stage primary sclerosing cholangitis.