Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Tropical Medicine

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the most frequent biliary malignancy. It is difficult to diagnose owing to its anatomic location, growth patterns and lack of definite diagnostic criteria. Neutrophil gelatinase - associated lipocalin (NGAL), is a glycoprotein, which is found to increase in many cancers including (CCA). Measurement of NGAL in bile and serum of patients with extrahepatic biliary strictures and its evaluation as a diagnostic marker in differentiating the malignant from the benign strictures, as compared to brush cytology and to other known markers CA19-9 and CEA and its correlation with laboratory variables and the stage of the disease. The study is a cross sectional study including 60 patients presented to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) unit with extrahepatic biliary obstruction for diagnosis and drainage. Brush cytology was taken from the site of stricture, bile and serum samples were collected for measurement of NGAL, according to the results of brush cytology, Patients were grouped as follows: Group A including 29 patients with malignant extrahepatic strictures, Group B 27 patients with benign extrahepatic strictures as 4 patients were excluded due to unsatisfactory cytology sample

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