Ency. home > Test > P > Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (PTCA)

Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (PTCA)    See images

Overview | Risks | Results

Definition:

PTCA is a fluoroscopic (using a special X-ray machine that projects images onto a TV screen) examination of the bile ducts inside and outside the liver after a contrast medium is injected directly into a liver bile duct.

How the Test is Performed

The test is performed in a radiology department by a radiologist. You will be asked to lie supine (on your back) on the X-ray table. The upper right side of the abdomen is cleansed and a local anesthetic is given. A long, thin, flexible needle is then inserted through the skin into the liver. With guidance from the fluoroscope, the bile duct is found and the contrast medium injected. The contrast medium then flows through the ducts and can be seen on the fluoroscopic monitor.

How to Prepare for the Test

Inform the health care provider if you are pregnant. You will be given a hospital gown to put on. Remove all jewelry.

Infants and children:
The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous experiences, and level of trust. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics as they correspond to your child's age:

• infant test or procedure preparation (birth to 1 year)
• toddler test or procedure preparation (1 to 3 years)
• preschooler test or procedure preparation (3 to 6 years)
• schoolage test or procedure preparation (6 to 12 years)
• adolescent test or procedure preparation (12 to 18 years)

How the Test will Feel

There will be a sting as the anesthetic is given and some discomfort as the needle is advanced into the liver. You may be given medication for sedation and/or pain control. The X-ray will cause no discomfort.

Why the Test is Performed

Bile is a byproduct of protein metabolism which is created in the liver and excreted into the intestines via the bile ducts. If bile cannot be removed from the body, it collects in the blood and is seen as a yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes (jaundice). As well, the pancreas creates digestive fluids which drain via a common bile duct into the intestine, and thus obstruction can prevent the drainage of the fluids and may cause pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). The procedure may distinguish between obstructive and non-obstructive causes of jaundice and pancreatitis. If there is an obstruction, it can then be located and described.

Ency. home > Test > P > Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (PTCA)

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