Percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage-guided methylene blue for fistulotomy using dual-knife for bile duct intubation: A case report

Background: Difficult bile duct intubation is a big challenge for endoscopists during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedure. We report a case of percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage (PTCD)-guided methylene blue for fistulotomy using dual-knife for bile duct intubation.

Case summary: A 50-year-old male patient had developed obstructive jaundice, and ERCP procedure need to be performed to treat the obstructive jaundice. But intubation cannot be performed if the duodenal papilla cannot be identified because of previous surgery for a perforated descending duodenal diverticulum. We used PTCD-guided methylene blue to identify the intramural common bile duct before dual-knife fistulotomy, and bile duct intubation was successfully completed.

Conclusion: The method that combing methylene blue and dual-knife fistulotomy to achieve bile duct intubation during difficult ERCP is safe and effective.