Endoscopic ultrasonography diagnosis of long common channel in a patient with recurrent biliary pain

Abstract

The main pancreatic duct and the common bile duct open into the duodenum either alone or as a common channel. A common channel of >15 mm is associated with recurrent acute pancreatitis or biliary tract malignancy. Interesting case of young women with recurrent biliary pain where the diagnosis was made by endoscopic ultrasonography.

Key words

Endoscopic ultrasound - long common channel - recurrent acute pancreatitis

• References

• 1 Sterling JA. The common channel for bile and pancreatic ducts. Surg Gynecol Obstet 1954;98:420-4.
• 2 Suda K, Miyano T, Konuma I, Matsumoto M. An abnormal pancreatico-choledocho-ductal junction in cases of biliary tract carcinoma. Cancer 1983;52:2086-8.
• 3 Kimura K, Ohto M, Saisho H, Unozawa T, Tsuchiya Y, Morita M, et al. Association of gallbladder carcinoma and anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union. Gastroenterology 1985;89:1258-65.
• 4 The Japanese Study Group on Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction. Diagnostic criteria of pancreaticobiliary maljunction. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg 1994;1:219-21.
• 5 Sugiyama M, Atomi Y. Endoscopic ultrasonography for diagnosing anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction. Gastrointest Endosc 1997;45:261-7.
• 6 Tashiro S, Imaizumi T, Ohkawa H, Okada A, Katoh T, Kawaharada Y, et al. Pancreaticobiliary maljunction: Retrospective and nationwide survey in Japan. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg 2003;10:345-51.