title: Operative cholangiography in uncomplicated biliary tract surgery. Review of 354 cholangiography studies in patients without indication of common duct pathology.
abstract: The literature of the past ten years is replete with articles on "routine* cholangiography, with particular reference to the overlooked or "unsuspected" stone. Many series do not differentiate between T-tube cholangiograms performed after common duct exploration and those performed on patients with and without the usual clinical or operative indications for common duct exploration. We present a pure operative  cholangiographic study of 354 patients with apparent uncomplicated bilary tract disease; a significant incidence of unsuspected pathologic features are demonstrated. Can a convenient and innocuous procedure like routine operative cholangiography continue to be ignored, even in the most routine of cases?
mesh_terms: D002759:Adenoma, Bile Duct / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D042882:Gallstones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography