title: Efficacy of multi-slice computed tomography cholangiography before laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bile duct injury is one of the serious surgical complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Clear biliary tract imaging to detect the anomaly of the bile ducts before operation is thought to be useful to prevent this complication. The objective of this study was to investigate the preoperative feasibility of using multi-slice computed tomography scanning after drip infusion cholangiography-computed tomography (DIC-CT) for LC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laparoscopic cholecystectomies were carried out in 33 patients and DIC-CT and magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) were also carried out in all of these patients. We evaluated the recognition of the junction of the cystic duct and detection of anomalies of the extrahepatic bile ducts using the latter two methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 33 patients, DIC-CT showed the junction of the cystic duct in 31 (94%) and MRC in 25 (76%) patients, respectively. Anomalies of the extrahepatic bile ducts or the cystic duct were detected in four (12%) patients by DIC-CT, but MRC could show only one of these lesions. There were no major adverse reactions in either examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DIC-CT is an efficacious preoperative technique as compared with MRC for the biliary tract imaging. DIC-CT may be of benefit for both patients scheduled to undergo LC and their surgeons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Saiseikai Kanazawa Hospital, Ishikawa, Japan. yasumitsuhira@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Yasumitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tatsuzawa
authors.forename: Junzo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Yukimitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawaura
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000473:pathology*; D002758:Cholangiography / Q000379:methods*; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed