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
Kettering Independent Medical Group Inc
Brian Ondulick is a General Surgeon in Kettering, Ohio. Dr. Ondulick and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Choledocholithiasis. His top areas of expertise are Hernia, Gallbladder Disease, Gallstones, Hip Replacement, and Lymphadenectomy. Dr. Ondulick is currently accepting new patients.
Kettering Independent Medical Group Inc
Carol Sawmiller is a General Surgeon in Kettering, Ohio. Dr. Sawmiller and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Choledocholithiasis. Her top areas of expertise are Breast Cancer, Angiosarcoma, Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Bladder Reconstruction, and Hernia Surgery. Dr. Sawmiller is currently accepting new patients.
Kettering Independent Medical Group Inc
Andrew Archer is a General Surgeon in Kettering, Ohio. Dr. Archer and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Choledocholithiasis. His top areas of expertise are Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer, Familial Colorectal Cancer, Gallbladder Disease, Lymphadenectomy, and Hernia Surgery. Dr. Archer 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
Methods: This is a randomized clinical trial. Patients with choledocholithiasis scheduled for ERCP with EST at National Cheng Kung University Hospital and Siriraj Hospital were enrolled. The study will recruit 120 patients. After randomization, 60 patients will be classified into the intervention group and 60 into the control group. The participants will receive standard ERCP and EST for common bile duct s...
Summary: Chronic calculous cholecystitis in pediatric patients leads to choledocholithiasis in about 12% of cases. These patients require removal of stones from the common bile duct. The most common method of cleaning the common bile duct is endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and the standard technique for removing the gallbladder is laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There are different approaches...
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.
Fogel EL, Sherman S. Diseases of the gallbladder and bile ducts. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 146.
Pattni C, Zenlea T. Choledocholithiasis. In: Ferri FF, ed. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2023. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:368-369.
Radkani P, Hawksworth J, Fishbein T. Biliary system. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 21st ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2022:chap 55.