Abstract
BACKGROUND: Percutaneous cholangioscopy (PerC) offers an alternative for patients with an inaccessible biliary tree. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the performance of this technique. METHODS: A search in Medline, Cochrane and ClinicalTrials.gov databases was performed for studies assessing PerC up to October 2022. The primary outcome was diagnostic success, defined as successful stone identification or stricture workup. Secondary outcomes included therapeutic success (stone extraction, stenting) and complication rate. A subgroup analysis compared previous-generation and modern cholangioscopes. We performed meta-analyses using a random-effects model and the results were reported as percentages with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Fourteen studies (682 patients) were eligible for analysis. The rate of diagnostic success was 98.7% (95%CI 97.6-99.8%; I(2)=31.19%) and therapeutic success was 88.6% (95%CI 82.8-94.3%; I(2)=74.92%). Adverse events were recorded in 17.1% (95%CI 10.7-23.5%; I(2)=77.56%), of which 15.9% (95%CI 9.8-21.9%; I(2)=75.98%) were minor and 0.6% (95%CI 0.1-1.2%; I(2)=0%) major. The Spyglass system showed null heterogeneity for all outcomes; compared with older-generation endoscopes it offered comparable diagnostic success, but yielded significantly superior therapeutic success (96.1%, 95%CI 90-100%; I(2)=0% vs. 86.4%, 95%CI 79.2-93.6%; I(2)=81.41%; P=0.02]. CONCLUSION: PerC, especially using currently available cholangioscopes, is associated with high diagnostic and therapeutic success.