Appropriate number of biliary biopsies and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography sessions for diagnosing biliary tract cancer

Table 2 Comparison of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography -related procedures between the positive group and the negative group

	P group (n = 76)	N group (n = 19)	P value
Number of ERCP sessions (1/2)	72/4	15/4	0.048
EST	74 (97.4)	17 (89.5)	0.177
Diagnosability of bile or brush or ENBD cytology	16/681 (23.5)	5/19 (26.3)	0.77
Cup diameter of biopsy forceps (1 mm/2 mm)	8/68	2/17	1.0
Total number of biopsies	2 (1 - 6)	2 (1 - 7)	0.039
Number of biopsies before biliary stenting	2 (1 - 4)	2 (1 - 3)	0.119
Number of biopsies after biliary stenting	2 (1 - 4)	1 (1 - 6)	0.065
PEP	4 (5.3)	0 (0)	0.58
Moderate	2
Severe	2

¹Biliary cytology, brush cytology and endoscopic nasobiliary drainage cytology were not performed in 8 patients in the P group. The values are shown as median (range) or n (%). ERCP: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; P: Positive; N: Negative; EST: Endoscopic sphincterotomy; ENBD: Endoscopic nasobiliary drainage; PEP: Post-ERCP pancreatitis.