Introduction Diseases aVecting the gall bladder and bile ducts occur commonly in the elderly. By the age of 70, cholelithiasis, the most frequently occurring disorder aVecting these organ systems, and its sequela, choledocholithiasis, are found in 33% of the population of the United States. The challenges facing the clinician responsible for treating elderly patients with biliary tract diseases...

Echinococcal disease can develop anywhere in the human body. The liver represents its most frequent location. Hepatic hydatid cysts may rupture into the biliary tract, thorax, peritoneum, viscera, digestive tract or skin. We report a rare case with rupture of the right hepatic duct into a hydatid cyst in a woman with known hydatid disease and choledocholithiasis. The increased intra-luminal pre...

OBJECTIVES A minimally invasive approach is considered the treatment of choice for gallbladder stones. We report our experience with the treatment of choledocholithiasis. METHODS From January 1993 to December 2002, 3118 patients underwent minimally invasive surgery for symptomatic gallstones, 2681 for gallbladder stones and 437 (14%) for cholecysto-choledocholithiasis. RESULTS We performed ...

cholangiography is a noninvasive modality that has been proven accurate in the diagnosis of bile duct obstruction and choledocholithiasis (1, 2). Previous reports concerning the usefulness of MR cholangiography for the assessment of intrahepatic choledocholithiasis have focused on the presence of intrahepatic ductal dilatation, stricture, and calculi (3, 4). However, heavily T2weighted MR chola...

Biliary extraction baskets are a commonly used instrument for the removal of choledocholithiasis in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Impaction of the extraction basket is a recognized complication of ERCP, and is usually the result of discrepancy between the size of bile duct stone and the diameter of the distal bile duct. Whilst mechanical lithotriptors can be used to cru...

The most common cause of biliary obstruction is choledocholithiasis. Endoscopic sphincterotomy is the preferred therapy for retained common bile duct stones. However, stones may pass spontaneously or get impacted at the ampulla [1]. Recent data suggest that precut sphincterotomy is a safe and effective technique that facilitates impacted stone extraction [2]. A 60-year-old man was admitted due ...