INTRODUCTION The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) through cholangiotomy with T-tube placement in one séance for common bile duct stones (CBDS). METHODS Between January 2005 and December 2010, a total of 99 patients with CBDS stones undergoing LCBDE with T-tube insertion at Enköping Hospital, Sweden, were registere...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Various anatomical features of the biliary tree affect ability to remove difficult common bile duct (CBD) stones. In this study, we evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of the endoscopic treatment of stones in stemware-shaped CBDs. METHODS Thirty-four patients with a stone and a stemware-shaped CBD who were treated at different tertiary referral centers from Jan...

56 patients with large CBD or intrahepatic stones underwent endoscopic and/or percutaneous treatment followed by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Percutaneous access to the biliary tract was chosen when an endoscopic approach was not possible (hepaticojejunostomy in 5 patients, 1 juxtapapillary diverticulum and 1 inflammatory bile duct stricture). Visualization of stones was achieved radi...

IntrOductIOn Cholelithiasis is the most common biliary pathology. The incidence of choledocholithiasis in patients with cholelithiasis varies between 5 to 15 percent, out of which 5% are asymptomatic [1]. Although common bile duct (CBD) stones may be silent, the development of complications such as cholangitis and acute pancreatitis is associated with major morbidity and mortality. Therefore, t...

The relative contribution of genetic factors to biliary and serum lipid composition was studied in 17 monozygotic and 18 dizygotic middle aged male pairs of twins. Cholesterol precursors, squalene and Methylated sterols which reflect the activity of cholesterol synthesis were also measured. Pairwise intraclass correlations were determined for monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs and heritabilit...

Twenty-eight patients with radiolucent biliary duct stones without cholangitis and jaundice were randomly allocated into two treatment groups receiving ursodeoxycholic acid 12 mg/kg (group A) or placebo (group B) in three daily doses for 24 months. In group A stones disappeared completely in seven patients and partially in one; placebo administration had no effect on stone size and three patien...

A case of an anomalous extrahepatic biliary system is reported in which the right hepatic duct was found to enter the infundibulum of the gallbladder. In this case, a selective intraoperative cholangiography has prevented a possible major iatrogenic injury.

The presence of a stone or stones within the common bile duct (CBD) is known as choledocholithiasis. Choledocholithiasis is reported in 3%-22% of patients undergoing cholecystectomies [1]. A confirmatory diagnosis of choledocholithiasis is made using advanced imaging, including magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Treatment varie...

Common bile duct stones may be discovered preoperatively, intra-operatively or postoperatively. The standard preoperative workup for patients presenting with symptoms attributable to choledocholithiasis includes liver function test and an abdominal ultrasound. These tests, combined with clinical examination and history, constitute the entire workup for most patients. As there is no exactly know...

Multiple stones, a periampullary diverticulum, and advanced patient age are factors that contribute to difficulty in stone removal [1]. We were able to completely remove the bile duct stones in a 93-year-old woman with a periampullary diverticulum, multiple stones (about 100), and common bile duct of 35mm in diameter using the large-balloon occupation technique (LBOT). The patient visited our h...