title: Preoperative assessment of the aberrant bile duct using multislice computed tomography cholangiography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to determine the frequency of anatomic variations of bile ducts (aberrant bile ducts) using multislice helical computed tomography (MCT) cholangiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  MCT scanning was performed after slow infusion of 100 mL meglumine iotroxate. Overlapping axial images, taken at 0.5-mm intervals, were reconstructed to create a multiplanar reconstruction with volume rendering. We analyzed anatomical variations of the biliary tree by MCT cholangiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a total of 113 patients, MCT cholangiography provided clear images of aberrant bile ducts in 18 patients. Major type (draining a particular segment of the liver) was found in 9 cases (8%) and minor type (draining a particular subsegment of the liver) in 9 cases (8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative MCT cholangiography provides important information about the precise biliary anatomy and can reveal unexpected aberrant bile ducts prior to biliary surgery, especially laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University 1750-1 Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. izuishi@kms.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Izuishi
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toyama
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Fuminori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goda
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Usuki
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masaki
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeta
mesh_terms: D017734:Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002758:Cholangiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006500:Hepatic Duct, Common / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*