choledocholithiasis

After two weeks she became jaundiced and was referred with the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis.

If clogged by a gallstone, a condition called choledocholithiasis can result.

As with choledocholithiasis, diagnosis is confirmed using cholangiopancreatography.

Murphy's sign is commonly negative on physical examination in choledocholithiasis, helping to distinguish it from cholecystitis.

The most common cause for obstruction is choledocholithiasis, or gallstones in the common bile duct.

Endoscopic ultrasound can help detect choledocholithiasis and gallstone pancreatitis.

The diagnosis of choledocholithiasis is suggested when the liver function blood test shows an elevation in bilirubin and serum transaminases.

He died on September 7, 1922, 16 days short of his 70th birthday, from bronchopneumonia, as a complication of choledocholithiasis and cholangitis.

From January 1989 to January 1991 a total of 146 patients underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for choledocholithiasis.

Typically, it is positive in cholecystitis, but negative in choledocholithiasis, pyelonephritis and ascending cholangitis.

Jaundice and/or clay-colored stool may raise suspicion of choledocholithiasis or even gallstone pancreatitis.

Morbidity is common and is caused by complications of cholangitis, sepsis, choledocholithiasis, and cholangiocarcinoma.

One of the more serious complications of choledocholithiasis is acute pancreatitis, which may result in significant permanent pancreatic damage and brittle diabetes.

Endoscopic placement of a biliary endoprosthesis has been proposed for the management of choledocholithiasis when stone extraction is difficult or considered hazardous.

Can progress to choledocholithiasis (gallstones in the bile duct) and gallstone pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)

Although gallstones and cholecystectomy are not thought to be associated with an increased incidence of cholangiocarcinoma, hepatolithiasis and choledocholithiasis may predispose to malignant change.

Cholangitis especially the suppurative type (Charcot's triad or Raynaud's pentad) is usually secondary to choledocholithiasis.

Laboratory values may be notable for an elevated alkaline phosphatase, possibly an elevated bilirubin (although this may indicate choledocholithiasis), and possibly an elevation of the WBC count.

Further evidence against this is the finding that the occurrence of choledocholithiasis was much higher in patients in group A who underwent cholecystectomy (16/23: 70%) than is generally seen in association with cholecystolithiasis.

Also it was suggested that it can result from insult to the biliary tree by obstructive cholangitis secondary to choledocholithiasis, surgical damage, trauma, vascular insults, parasites, or congenital fibrocystic disorders.

In five patients a common bile duct stricture was found, four benign (believed to be as a consequence of choledocholithiasis in two and as a complication of cholecystectomy in the other two).

With a complication rate of around 7% and a procedure related mortality of 0.6-0.7%, however, therapeutic ERCP compares favourably with the morbidity and mortality of surgery for choledocholithiasis.

Biliary endoprosthesis insertion for choledocholithiasis is an important alternative means of establishing drainage in selected cases, and is probably the optimum method of management for the elderly and or debilitated patients with previous cholecystectomy.

These include: diabetic ketoacidosis, brain tumor, surgical problems, heart attack, pancreatitis, small bowel obstruction, meningitis, appendicitis, cholecystitis, Addisonian crisis, Choledocholithiasis (from gallstones) and hepatitis, as a sign of carbon monoxide poison and many others.

Of the 146 patients referred for endoscopic treatment of choledocholithiasis the overall success rate for clearing the common bile duct stones was 72.6% which is somewhat lower than other reported series but might reflect the selection of patients to a specialised centre.