A choledochocele is a benign cyst-like herniation of the intramural segment of the distal common bile duct protruding into the duodenal lumen. Cholangiography is essential to demonstrate a choledochocele. Because choledochoceles are often associated with characteristic structual alterations of the papilla of Vater and the peripapillary area, ERCP is helpful in demonstrating a choledochocele. We present the clinical, endoscopic and radiographic (ERCP) findings in a patient with choledochocele.
Cholangiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Choledochal Cyst* ; Common Bile Duct ; Humans

A choledochocele is a benign cyst-like herniation of the intramural segment of the distal common bile duct protruding into the duodenal lumen. Cholangiography is essential to demonstrate a choledochocele. Because choledochoceles are often associated with characteristic structual alterations of the papilla of Vater and the peripapillary area, ERCP is helpful in demonstrating a choledochocele. We present the clinical, endoscopic and radiographic (ERCP) findings in a patient with choledochocele.
Cholangiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Choledochal Cyst* ; Common Bile Duct ; Humans

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) procedures are more difficult in patients who have undergone partial gastrectomy with Billroth II anastomosis. Because its altered anatomical relationship. the endoscopist is presented with additional problems: (i) Dfficulties in entering the afferent loop, depending on the surgical techiques used. (ii) The endoscope may be too sort to reach the papillary region unless the loops are suecessfully straightened out. (iii) Difficulties in passing the ligament of Treitz, especially in patients with Braun's anastomosis, (iv) Problems in cannulating the papilla and especially the common bile duct from a reversed position. (v) Problems in carrying out a papillotomy in a correct position. We attempted endoscopic sphincterotomy in 3 opatients previously subjected to gastrectomy with needle knife, and succeeded in 2 of them. In the two patients, successful billary drainage was achieved. And one patients with Billroth II gastrectomy, presented with CBD stone and cholangit, was successfully treated with endoscopic stone retriveial. The patient with a Billroth-II operation may unergo endscopic diagnostic as well as therapeutic procedures with a high rate of success, and can be suitable candidates for ERCP and endoscopic sphincterotomy
Cholangiography* ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Common Bile Duct ; Drainage ; Endoscopes ; Gastrectomy* ; Gastroenterostomy* ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Needles ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic

An occasional patient has both a pressing need for visualization of the biliary system in spite of a past history of reaction to iodinated contrast media. We report a patient, who had reacted adversely to contrast media, underwent ERCP using barium sulfate in order to opacify the biliary and pancreatic duct without side effect successfully. In conclusion, ERCP using barium sulfate as a contrast material is of value in patients who are intolerant of the iodinated contrast media.
Barium Sulfate* ; Barium* ; Biliary Tract ; Cholangiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Contrast Media ; Humans ; Pancreatic Ducts

PURPOSE: In order to reduce the rate of conversion to an open cholecystectomy, and to avoid the retention of bile duct stones, it is important to detect a choledocholithiasis prior to a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in 150 patients who had an intraoperative cholangiography and choledochotomy with a choledocholithiasis performed. METHODS: Between January 2001 and February 2002, 150 patients who underwent an ERCP or EUS performed preoperatively and a cholecystectomy with intraoperative cholangiography or choledochotomy consecutively performed at the Inha University Hospital were reviewed. RESULTS: An ERCP was performed in 119 patients, and an EUS was carried out in 67 patients. Thirty six patients had both performed. The ERCP failed in 17cases (14.3%). The EUS identified the bile duct in all cases. There were five ERCP related complications (3 pancreatitis, 2 cholangitis), but no complications were encountered when using EUS. In 62 patients (41.3%), a choledocholithiasis was found. ERCP had a sensitivity of 89.5%, a specificity of 84.4%, a positive predictive value of 87.8%, and a negative predictive value of 86.4%. EUS showed a sensitivity of 88.9%, a specificity of 84.7%, a positive predictive value of 66.7%, and a negative predictive value of 95.3%. Concordance of ERCP and EUS was obtained in 90% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: EUS appears to be safer, more comfortable, and, as accurate as an ERCP detecting a choledocholithiasis.
Bile Ducts ; Cholangiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Choledocholithiasis* ; Diagnosis* ; Endosonography* ; Humans ; Pancreatitis ; Sensitivity and Specificity

E.S.T. is performed not only for the treatment but also for the diagnosis of biliary tract diseases. E.S.T. serves as a diagnostic aid for some of biliary tract diseases which require such procedures as a peroral cholangioscopy or biopsy of the biliary duct for precise diagnosis and further differential diagnosis. The diseases of our patients were diagnosed by clinical findings and such diagnostic maneuvers as abdominal ultrasonography, intravenous cholangiography, percutaneous transhepatic chorangiography(P.T.C.), endoscopic retrograde chorangiopancreatography(E.R.C.P.), In all the two cases, abdominal ultrasonography revealed dilated extrahepatic duct, but biliary trees were not visualized at E.R.C.P. In one of the two cases, P.T.C. revealed a filling defect with dilated common bile ducts(CBD) but we could not make a differential diagnosis of CBD stone from CBD cancer. In another of the two cases, on which intravenous cholangiography was done, we could not see CBD. For the purpuse of precise diagnosis and further differential diagnosis, we performed EST and then ERCP thraugh widened papillae. With those procedures, CBD stones were shown.
Bile ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; Biopsy ; Cholangiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 64-multidetector CT (MDCT) cholangiography for determining the causes of distal common bile duct (CBD) obstruction. METHODS: Two hundred fifty consecutive patients underwent 64-MDCT for diagnosing the clinical and biochemical signs of bile duct obstruction. The causes of bile duct obstruction were assessed by the pre- and post-enhanced axial and coronal multiplanar reformation images of 64-MDCT. The results were compared with ERCP, biopsy and surgery. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of MDCT for CBD stones were 96.1% and 84.9%, respectively. In seven patients, The CBD stones in 7 patients could not be detected on MDCT. Eleven patients with stones in the distal CBD, as detected on MDCT, had no stones seen on ERCP. For malignant obstruction, the sensitivity and specificity of MDCT were 97.0% and 98.6%, respectively. Three patients who were diagnosed with periampullary cancers on MDCT were disclosed to have severe papillitis on ERCP. One patient who was diagnosed with CBD stone by MDCT was disclosed to have ampullary cancer. The overall accuracy of MDCT for determining the causes of biliary obstruction was 90.5%. CONCLUSIONS: MDCT cholangiography is a non-invasive method with relatively high sensitivity and high specificity for diagnosing the causes of distal CBD obstruction.
Biopsy ; Cholangiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholestasis ; Common Bile Duct ; Humans ; Papilledema ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Cystic dilatation of bile duct, so called choledochal cysts are a well documented abnormalities. Although choledochal cyst is a relatively rare disease, the number of reports have been increasing especially in tht Orient. It may be easily overlooked by the conventional diagnostic methods, such as upper gastrointestinal series, intravenous cholangiography and abdominal ultrasonogrsphy. Recent advances on diagnostic methods, such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography had been helpful in demonstrating choledochal cysts. 29 patients with choledochal cysts who had been admitted in Hanyang Universty Hospital between September l981 and August 1991 were reviewed and the clinical endoseopic and rediographic findings were discussed comparing with that from foreign literatures. (continue...)
Bile Ducts ; Cholangiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Choledochal Cyst* ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Rare Diseases

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage (ERBD) has become a standard procedure in patients with a biliary obstruction. Intraductal ultrasonography (IDUS) has emerged as a new tool for managing extrahepatic biliary diseases. IDUS-directed ERBD can be performed without conventional cholangiography (CC). The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of IDUS-directed ERBD compared to CC-directed ERBD in patients with an extrahepatic biliary obstruction. METHODS: A total of 210 patients who had undergone IDUS-directed ERBD (IDUS-ERBD, n = 105) and CC-directed ERBD (CC-ERBD, n = 105) between October 2013 and April 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. The primary outcome measure was the procedural success rate. Secondary outcome measures included clinical outcomes, total procedure time, radiation exposure time, and overall complication rates. RESULTS: The total technical success rate of ERBD was 100% (105/105) in the IDUS-ERBD and CC-ERBD groups. Mean procedure time was slightly prolonged in the IDUS-ERBD group than that in the CC-ERBD group (32.1 ± 9.9 minutes vs. 28.4 ± 11.6 minutes, p = 0.023). Mean radiation exposure time was one-third less in the IDUS-ERBD group than that in the CC-ERBD group (28.0 ± 49.3 seconds vs. 94.2 ± 57.3 seconds, p < 0.001). No significant differences in complication rates were detected between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: IDUS-ERBD was equally effective and safe as CC-ERBD in patients with an extrahepatic biliary obstruction. Although IDUS-ERBD increased total procedure time, it significantly decreased radiation exposure.
Cholangiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Drainage* ; Humans ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Radiation Exposure ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Various studies on the prediction of common bile duct (CBD) stones through preoperative or operative cholangiography have been reported. When CBD stones were suspected due to preoperative screening factors, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was done as a first choice and operative cholangiography could be omitted. We want to know the indications of selective cholangiography and the significance of routine operative cholangiography during a simple cholecystectomy. METHODS: The cases of 134 patients who received on open cholecystectomy between Jan. 1995 and Sept. 1997 were reviewed. Twenty-even (27) cases of a choledocholithotomy without cholangiography were discarded from this study. Our cases were divided into two groups: group I included 9 patients who had CBD Stones, which was pathologicaly confirmed by operative cholangiography, and group II included 98 patients who had no CBD Stones, which pathologicaly confirme by operative cholangiography. The predictability of pathologic CBD. was calculated by the factors as the total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, AST, ALT, GGT, CBD. diameter by sonography. According to the number of positive screening factors, 3 grades of scoring were imposed in each case. Grade I was the case where 0- screening factor was positive, grade II was the case where 2 screening factors were positive, and grade III was the case where 3 or more screening factors were positive. RESULTS: Eighty-ive (85) cases were grade I, 6 cases were grade II, and 16 cases were grade III. In grade I, only one case had asymptomatic CBD stones, and the negative predictability was 98.8%. In grade II, there were no CBD lesions, and the negative predictability was 100%. In grade III, there were 8 cases of pathologic CBD lesions, and the negative predictability was 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Precise prediction of CBD lesions before a cholecystectomy is of value in deciding whether or not to perform an operative cholangiography. In our study, we graded the patients according to 5 non-nvasive screening factors. In grade I cases, the negative predictability of 98.8% was acceptable for omitting the operative cholangiography. In grade II cases, the negative predictability was 100%, but in these cases, there was the possibility of pathologic CBD Stones. Hence, in these cases, an operative cholangiography may be done, depending on the surgeon's decision. In grade III cases, an operative cholangiography or a preoperative ERCP. is mandatory.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Bilirubin ; Cholangiography* ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholecystectomy ; Common Bile Duct ; Humans ; Mass Screening