Choledocholithiasis Overview
Learn About Choledocholithiasis
Choledocholithiasis is the presence of at least one gallstone in the common bile duct. The stone may be made up of bile pigments or calcium and cholesterol salts.
Gallstone in the bile duct; Bile duct stone
About 1 in 7 people with gallstones will develop stones in the common bile duct. This is the small tube that carries bile from the gallbladder to the intestine.
Risk factors include a history of gallstones. However, choledocholithiasis can occur in people who have had their gallbladder removed.
Often, there are no symptoms unless the stone blocks the common bile duct. Symptoms may include:
- Pain in the right upper or middle upper abdomen for at least 30 minutes. The pain may be constant and intense. It can be mild or severe.
- Fever.
- Yellowing of skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice).
- Loss of appetite.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Clay-colored stools.
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 to allow stones to pass or be removed
Mercy Medical Center
Sajida Ahad is a General Surgeon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dr. Ahad and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Choledocholithiasis. Her top areas of expertise are Gallbladder Disease, Gallstones, Choledocholithiasis, Endoscopy, and Sleeve Gastrectomy. Dr. Ahad is currently accepting new patients.
Mercy Medical Center
Tracy Mccoy-Maloskey is a General Surgeon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dr. Mccoy-Maloskey and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Choledocholithiasis. Her top areas of expertise are Relapsed Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM), Gallbladder Disease, Gallstones, Gastrostomy, and Hernia Surgery. Dr. Mccoy-Maloskey is currently accepting new patients.
Physicians' Clinic Of Iowa, PC
Andrew Nowell is a General Surgeon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dr. Nowell and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Choledocholithiasis. His top areas of expertise are Paget Disease of the Breast, Breast Cancer, Familial Colorectal Cancer, Gallstones, and Hernia Surgery. Dr. Nowell is currently accepting new patients.
Blockage and infection caused by stones in the biliary tract can be life threatening. Most of the time, the outcome is good if the problem is detected and treated early.
Complications may include:
- Biliary cirrhosis
- Cholangitis
- Pancreatitis
Contact your provider if:
- You develop abdominal pain, with or without fever, and there is no known cause
- You develop jaundice
- You have other symptoms of choledocholithiasis
Summary: In this study, it is planned to compare ERCP with ES + delayed LC in children, with one-stage LC + ERCP with ES in adults to confirm that ERCP with ES + delayed LC is more suitable for pediatric patients with cholecystocholedocholithiasis.
Summary: The Percutaneous Cholangiopancreatoscopy (PCPS) registry is an observational, multicentric, prospective, and retrospective registry of patients undergoing the percutaneous cholangiopancreatoscopy procedure at sites across the United States. In the retrospective component of the study, clinical and procedural data regarding patients who have undergone clinical indicated percutaneous cholangiopancre...
Published Date: May 02, 2023
Published By: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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