title: Identification of bile duct stones in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
abstract: To identify patients with common bile duct stones, all patients considered for laparoscopic cholecystectomy in this unit undergo intravenous cholangiography (IVC) with tomography and, more recently, operative cholangiography. To date 100 consecutive patients with symptomatic gallstones have undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy with no specific exclusion criteria. Eight patients of 100 were found to have duct stones on IVC with one false-positive. These IVC data were compared with data from 52 patients who also had operative cholangiograms performed. One stone was detected on operative cholangiography that was not identified on IVC. No additional information was gained from operative cholangiography. These data suggest that preoperative IVC is adequate for the detection of duct stones in patients considered for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Limerick Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle, Ireland.
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drumm
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.forename: P V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Delaney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002758:Cholangiography / Q000379:methods*; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*