There are many observations in man which describe the frequency and severity of bacterial infections of the hepato-biliary system in association with common bile duct obstruction.:` This association has been corroborated in animals by observing the frequency with which complicating bacterial infections interfere with experiments designed to study the effects of sterile biliary obstruction.5" In...

Portal biliary ductopathy (PBD) is a condition in which biliary and pancreatic ducts are extrinsically compressed by collateral branches of the portal venous system, which in turn have become dilated and varicosed due to portal hypertension. While the majority of patients with PBD are asymptomatic, a minority can present with symptoms of biliary obstruction and cholangitis with the potential of...

Choledochal cysts are an uncommon anomaly of the biliary system manifested by cystic dilatation of the extra or intrahepatic biliary tree or both. It is most frequently found in Orientals and in females. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a valuable imaging technique in the diagnosis of choledochal cysts in adults. Additionally, in selected cases, a choledochocele may be effectiv...

Benign schwannomas arise in neural crest-derived Schwann cells. They can occur almost anywhere in the body, but their most common locations are the central nervous system, extremities, neck, mediastinum, and retroperitoneum. Schwannomas occurring in the biliary tract are extremely rare and mostly present with obstructive jaundice. We recently experienced a case of extrahepatic biliary schwannom...

Gallstone disease is very common and laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures all over the world. Parallel to the increase in the number of laparoscopic cholecystectomies, bile duct injuries also increased. The reported incidence of bile duct injuries ranges from 0.3% to 1.4%. Many of the bile duct injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy are not due to ine...

To assess the usefulness of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP) in the study of acute pancreatitis, 101 of a possible 114 patients (89 per cent) with acute pancreatitis underwent ERCP after recovery from acute illness. In 81 per cent, ERCP was performed within two weeks of recovery. The biliary tract was successfully demonstrated in 87 per cent of the patients and the pancreatic duct i...

An 83-year-old male was referred to us for deranged liver function in December 2010. There was mildly elevated bilirubin level of 36 μmol/L, alkaline phosphatase level of 281 μmol/L, and transaminase level of 98 μmol/L. Tumour markers (carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha-fetoprotein, and carbohydrate antigen 19-9) were normal. Ultrasonography revealed a markedly dilated common bile duct (CBD) and i...

Introduction: Sphincter of Oddi (SO) manometry is at present the “gold standard” investigation for patients with suspected biliary SO dysfunction. Noninvasive scintigraphy in cholecystectomised patients using a complex scoring system or the transit time from the hepatic hilum to the duodenum (HDTT) have been promoted as sensitive and specific alternatives. Aim: To evaluate the scintigraphic sco...

INTRODUCTION Sphincter of Oddi (SO) manometry is at present the "gold standard" investigation for patients with suspected biliary SO dysfunction. Non-invasive scintigraphy in cholecystectomised patients using a complex scoring system or the transit time from the hepatic hilum to the duodenum (HDTT) have been promoted as sensitive and specific alternatives. AIM To evaluate the scintigraphic sc...

INTRODUCTION Pancreas divisum is the most common congenital pancreatic anomaly; occurring in approximately 7.5% of the general population. It is recognized as a potential risk factor for recurrent acute pancreatitis, and possible chronic pancreatitis. Pancreas divisum results from the failure of fusion of the ventral and dorsal ductal system. The hypothesis of our study was that pancreas divisu...