Objectives: Benign Biliary Stricture (BBS) often cause a significant amount of morbidity in patients due to its relatively painless course of progression and subtle clinical manifestations. This hospital-based study primarily focuses on BBS in Indian patients intending to find out its different etiologies and clinical manifestations; to observe clinical progression and response to the different treatments.

Materials and methods: Patients with age ≥18 years and diagnosed with benign biliary stricture were included in the study. Routine blood testing and special tests for tumor markers were done. Ultrasonography (USG), Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) abdomen, Magnetic Resonance Cholangio-pancreatography (MRCP), Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) were performed for evaluation of BBS. The total number of stents used, stents exchanged and duration of use till the resolution of symptoms were noted.

Results: Out of 100 recruited patients, 56 were females and 44 were males with a mean age of 48.5 ± 14.96 years. Abdominal pain (90%), jaundice (42%) and fever (25%) were the most common clinical manifestations. Most of the BBS were of indeterminate cause (56%). Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) was the most common etiology in the remaining patients. The mean number of stent exchanges and mean number of stents used were 2.68±0.69 and 4.16±1.52 respectively. The average mean duration of stent use was found to be 8.77±2.02 months.

Conclusions:ERCP for the treatment of BBS should be preferred over surgery and the percutaneous approach due to its low invasiveness, because it is more patient friendly, safer and repeatable.