title: Jaundice in patients with acute cholecystitis. Its validity as an indication for common bile duct exploration.
abstract: Our study demonstrates that (1) mild to moderate jaundice is frequently seen in patients with acute cholecystitis; (2) severe degrees of jaundice were seen in two patients without the presence of common duct stone or recognizable obstruction of the common bile duct; (3) only one of forty-one patients with acute cholecystitis had common bile duct stone; (4) jaundice does not appear to be a compelling reason for choledochotomy; and (5) less invasive technics such as intravenous and intraoperative cholangiography should suffice to exclude the possibility of common bile duct stone in patients with acute cholecystitis.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002758:Cholangiography; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000150:complications*; D003135:Common Bile Duct / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007565:Jaundice / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged