Idiopathic benign biliary strictures in surgically resected patients with presumed cholangiocarcinoma

Twelve patients with benign strictures (group I) were compared to 26 patients with cholangiocarcinoma (group II). Group I was predominantly female (ratio 2:1), (p<0.01), whereas the gender ratio was 1:1 in patients in group II. Bismuth-Corlette type strictures in group I were more likely to be type I/II, whereas type III strictures predominated in group II. The CA 19-9 was <100 U/ml in 6 and >100 U/ml in 1 patient of group I and <100 in 13 and >100 in 11 patients in group II. Half of the patients in group I had positive immunoreactivity for HIF-1-alpha in bile ductules.