Ursodeoxycholic acid and/or antibiotics for prevention of biliary stent occlusion.

Malignant biliary obstruction, which requires endoscopic stenting as palliative therapy, is often complicated by clogging of the stent with subsequent jaundice and/or cholangitis. Stent clogging may be caused by microbiological adhesion and biliary stasis. Therefore, antibiotics and choleretic agents like ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) have been investigated to see whether they prolong stent patency.