OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare two self-expanding stents, a nitinol stent and an elgiloy stent, both placed percutaneously, in terms of their efficacy in palliating inoperable malignant biliary obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 99 patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction treated with percutaneous placement of a self-expanding metallic stent at our institution between May 2007 and January 2010. Serum bilirubin and liver enzyme levels were measured before and 30 days after stenting. For all procedures using elgiloy or nitinol stents, stent occlusion and patient survival rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meyer analysis. RESULTS: All of the patients showed clinical improvement after stent placement, with no difference between the two groups. In both groups, the occlusion-free survival rate was 67% at 30 days, 37% at 90 days, 25% at 180 days, and 10% at 360 days, with no significant difference in relation to the type of stent. CONCLUSION: The two stents evaluated showed comparable efficacy for the percutaneous treatment of unresectable biliary malignancy, with good clinical results.

Keywords: Radiology, interventional; Drainage; Stents; Biliary tract/pathology; Oncology.