Preoperative routine magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography before laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A prospective study

To assess the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in detecting common bile duct stones in the preoperative investigation of patients electively referred for gallstone disease, to find out the incidence of asymptomatic common duct stones, and to correlate clinical symptoms and history and liver function tests (LFT) with the actual occurrence of common duct stones. Prospective study. General hospital, Denmark. 180 consecutive non-jaundiced patients referred with symptomatic gallstones for elective cholecystectomy. LFT, abdominal ultrasonography, MRCP, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), questionnaire. Positive and negative predictive values and accuracy of MRCP, number of patients with asymptomatic stones, and correlation of symptoms with the presence of stones. 26/180 patients had common duct stones (14%). Only one (