Abstract
Nowadays, with the increase in the social demand for lesser invasiveness, endoscopic procedures are playing an important role in both the diagnosis and treatment of biliary diseases. There are three major routes that enable endoscopic approach to the biliary tree: the transpapillary route, the transhepatic route, and the transgastroduodenal route. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy, and endoscopic ultrasonography are, respectively, representative procedures of these three approaches, and new techniques have been developed based on them. The role of endoscopy in clinical practice will expand even further with technological advance and development of methodology. Participation of dedicated young doctors with curiosity and ambition in this field is indispensable to realize this great potential.
