1.   The carcinoids were removed by hot biopsy forceps or electrocautery snare.

2.   In one patient the lesion was destroyed by hot biopsy forceps and further biopsy specimens were free from carcinoid infiltration.

3.   Biopsy specimens were taken with new rat toothed flexible head biopsy forceps.

4.   Endobiliary biopsy has only recently been introduced after the manufacture of biopsy forceps that are small enough to enter the biliary tree without a sphincterotomy.

5.   Reports on the clinical use of endobiliary biopsy forceps are limited and their place in the investigation of biliary strictures remains to be established.

6.   For this reason we used a constant size of biopsy forceps throughout the study and reproducibility of the assays was satisfactory.