Clinical significance of the dilated common bile duct in the sonogram

The data of 34 patients with a sonographically established dilated common bile duct were analysed as to the clinical significance of these findings. Whereas it was possible to diagnose dilated proximal common bile ducts in all of the cases under examination, presentation of the distal section succeeded in only 56% of the patients involved. Thus distal concretions escaped diagnosis in seven out of 24 cases. There is no established relation between the extent of dilatation of the common bile duct and hyperbilirubinemia; quite to the contrary, in three cases without any signs of arrest of bile excretion under chemical analysis, it was not until ultrasonography was performed that some initial indications of an impeded bile outflow due to concretions were discovered. It was possible to obtain a confirmed diagnosis in the case of two pancreas carcinomas, three bile duct carcinomas, a local recurrent carcinoma of the gall bladder and lymph node metastases of a gastric carcinoma in the hepaticoduodenal ligament. In another gall bladder carcinoma nothing but dilated bile ducts presented itself. What was thought to be a hepatoma, turned out to be a carcinoma of the bile duct during autopsy. A cirrhotic carcinoma of the common bile duct was considered to be a case of calculi in the common bile duct without shadow when examined with ultrasound. During their stay in the hospital, four patients passed gallstones, thus relieving distention of the duct. Additional tests were carried out in 16 patients (47%) in order to confirm the diagnosis.