Antegrade endobiliary forceps biopsy under the optical coherence tomography control in the diagnosis of Klatskin tumor: preliminary results

Background: Transcutaneous transhepatic endobiliary forceps biopsy is an accepted method for verification of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, but its sensitivity ranges from zero to 94%. In the recent years, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been actively used to diagnose malignancies. Aim: To assess diagnostic accuracy of the OCT-assisted intraductal forceps biopsy in patients with Klatskin tumor. Materials and methods: From 2013 to 2021, 161 patients with preliminary diagnosis of Klatskin tumor were seen in Russian Scientific Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies named after Academician A.M. Granov. The retrospective study included 48 patients and 51 procedures of the forceps biopsy. In 14 (29%) patients of the main study group, the biopsy procedure was performed with OCT assistance, whereas the control group (34 patients, 71%) had their biopsies without the OCT. Results: All procedures were technically successful. In the main and in the control study groups, sensitivity was 92.3% versus 73.3% (p = 0.32) and specificity 100% versus 85.7% (p = 0.88), respectively. Malignant neoplasm of the biliary tract was found in 13 cases versus 23 in the control group, with the degree of the tumor differentiation being determined in 64.3% (n = 9), versus 48.7% (n = 18) (p = 0.89), respectively. There were no adverse events associated with OCT and biopsy sampling in the main study group. In the control group, 4/37 procedures (10.8%) were associated with hemobilia, which was successfully treated conservatively within 24 hours without any prolongation of the hospital stay. Conclusion: Our preliminary results indicate that antegrade endobiliary forceps biopsy is a safe and informative technique. The OCT navigation increases the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis. This allows for a personalized choice of chemotherapy. OCT is a promising technique for differential diagnosis of Klatskin tumor from benign biliary strictures. Further large-scale studies are required to introduce it into everyday practice.