Choledocholithiasis (patient information): Difference between revisions
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==What is Choledocholithiasis?== | ==What is Choledocholithiasis?== | ||
[[Image:CBD stones.JPG|thumb|left|MRCP image of two stones in the distal [[common bile duct]]]] | |||
[[Image:ERCP DACP stones.jpg|left|thumb|Fluoroscopic image of multiple [[common bile duct]] [[choledocholithiasis|stones]] seen at the time of [[endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography|ERCP]] and duodenoscope assisted cholangiopancreatography (DACP). The stone was impacted in the distal common bile duct and was crushed with intracorporeal [[lithotripsy]].]] | |||
Choledocholithiasis is the presence of a [[gallstone]] in the [[common bile duct]]. The stone may consist of [[bile pigments]] or [[calcium]] and [[cholesterol salts]]. | Choledocholithiasis is the presence of a [[gallstone]] in the [[common bile duct]]. The stone may consist of [[bile pigments]] or [[calcium]] and [[cholesterol salts]]. | ||
Revision as of 14:48, 29 July 2009
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What is Choledocholithiasis?
Choledocholithiasis is the presence of a gallstone in the common bile duct. The stone may consist of bile pigments or calcium and cholesterol salts.
What are the symptoms of Choledocholithiasis?
Symptoms usually do not occur unless the stone blocks the common bile duct. Symptoms that may occur include:
- Abdominal pain in the right upper or middle upper abdomen that may:
- Come and go
- Be sharp, cramping, or dull
- Spread to the back or below the right shoulder blade
- Get worse after eating fatty or greasy foods
- Occurs within minutes of a meal
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Jaundice (yellowing of skin and whites of eyes)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
What are the causes of Choledocholithiasis?
About 15% of people with gallstones will develop stones in the common bile duct, the small tube that carries bile from the gallbladder to the intestine.
Who is at risk for Choledocholithiasis?
Risk Factors include:
- A previous medical history of gallstones
Choledocholithiasis can occur in people who have had their gallbladder removed
How to know you have Choledocholithiasis (Diagnosis)?
Tests that show the location of stones in the bile duct include the following:
- Abdominal CT scan
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Endoscope retrograde cholangiography (ERCP)
- Endoscopic ultrasound
- Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
- Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (PTCA)
Your doctor may order the following blood tests:
- Bilirubin
- Liver function tests
- Pancreatic enzymes
When to seek urgent medical care
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if abdominal pain with or without fever develops that is not attributable to other causes, if jaundice develops, or if other symptoms suggestive of choledocholithiasis occur.
Treatment options
The goal of treatment is to relieve the blockage.
Treatment may involve:
- Surgery to remove the gallbladder and stones
- ERCP and a procedure called a sphincterotomy, which makes a surgical cut into the muscle in the common bile duct.
Diseases with similar symptoms
Where to find medical care for Choledocholithiasis
Directions to Hospitals Treating Choledocholithiasis
Prevention of Choledocholithiasis
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)
Blockage and infection caused by stones in the biliary tract can be life threatening. However, with prompt diagnosis and treatment, the outcome is usually very good.
Possible Complications
- Biliary cirrhosis
- Cholangitis
- Pancreatitis