Dilated common bile duct

[Betty600]

I have a dilated common bile duct, had a CT, MRI, Endoscopy, Endoscopic Ultrasound & lots of blood work,
everything was negative, but in the endoscopic ultrasound it showed again the dilated common bile duct and
irregular Z line.  What could be causing this?


This discussion is related to is ERCP really needed based on tests?.

[Grace0718]

The common bile duct is dilated measuring 0.9cm. No intraluminal calculus nor lesion seen.. Thats a result for my MRCP procedure.. What its mean? Thank you

[crazeek]

I also had this diagnosis two years ago. No tumor or anything. I read a lot about it and high cholesterol  cause this this.

[traumaqueen45]

You mentioned the doctor suggested an "ERCP ultrasound" & ERCP.  There is no test that is called an "ERCP ultrasound".  The only ultrasound that is performed on the liver is an endoscopic ultrasound or EUS.  It is performed, much like an endoscopic exam, where the patient is sedated & the gastroenterologist looks at the stomach, duodenum, etc.  The ultrasound can see the organs, but if the problem is inside the ducts, the EUS will not be able to detect problems within the ducts.  

The ERCP is a totally different test, even though both the EUS & ERCP require that the patient receive light sedation for each test.  The ERCP is risky because of potential injury to the ducts, such as puncture.  

If anyone is considering an ERCP, they should seek out someone that is proficient in performing ERCP to reduce the risks.  But, before agreeing to an ERCP, I would ask the gastroenterologist or endocrinologist to perform an MRCP first.  The MRCP is much safer, because it requires no sedation & no endoscopic scopes to enter the ducts.  With the MRCP, the patient goes to radiology & an IV is started & contrast is given to detect any abnormalities in the liver, ducts, etc.  If the MRCP doesn't detect any problems, there are several choices.  The first is to wait & see if problems persist or the ERCP.  But, the ERCP should always be the last choice, if possible.

[vivianfarmer]

What is ERCP, and how is it performed?

[doctormiguel]

In 2000 Mom was diagnosed with "Questionable ductal dilation withn the liver"  Nothing was done by her multitude of doctors.  In 2008, she a full enlarge sincle cancerous tumor.  After several radaiation, a big operation, Mom died on 1-22-2010.  The tumort was 50% of the size of her liver. Mom was 73 when she died.  Please if diagnosed with "Questionable ductal dilation withn the liver"  Find a doctor who can remove it. Specially at the early stages.

[PUMPMANPLEE]

My mother 72 years old, also recently had
Endoscopy, X-RAYS, CT SCAN, MRCP & three blood tests
because she had upper abdominal pain, nausea & felt
sick with some weight loss.

however, all the above tests came back normal, except
that there was some dilation of the bile duct near the
ampulla of vater just before it enters the duodenum
or start of the small intestine.

our gastro specialist could not be sure if the bile duct dilation
was due to a gallstone or tumour or simply old age, so he wanted my
mother to have an ERCP Ultrasound, followed by ERCP if a gallstone is detected & needs removing or if a tumour is detected & a biopsy needs to be taken or nothing needs to be done if the bile duct dilation is due to old age.
my mother had her gall bladder removed some 8 years ago & this also
could result in dilation of the bile duct.
currently my mother is still deciding whether it is worth
doing the ERCP as we are aware of the risks such as pancreatitis, bleeding & other complications that we have read about from others who have undergone an ERCP.

PUMPMANPLEE

[CalGal]

A dilated CBD can be the result of removal of the gallbladder in some people. In others, it can indicate dilation due to blockage of the CBD at some point by a stone. or a possible pathogenic process. It would be difficult to know what the actual cause is without having a full medical history. Have you checked with your doc? He/she should have some idea of the cause.