1.   In other words, all patients who presented with intestinal obstruction had malignant strictures.

2.   The most striking aspect of our study is the difference in presenting symptoms associated with benign v malignant strictures.

3.   Their use in malignant strictures provides immediate drainage, avoiding the early complications encountered with plastic stents.

4.   Self expandable biliary stents have been used for palliative treatment of malignant biliary strictures.

5.   Six patients, all with malignant strictures, had bile samples taken at both endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography.