MRCP Question

[kittiesue]

I was wondering if anyone has had MRCP results similar to mine. A little history, I have had upper right quadrant burning and pain for the last three years. No one has been able to diagnose the problem as of yet and I really believe since there has been nothing found that they believe it is just in my head, anyway, I finally talked another doctor into investigating the reason for the pain and he agreed to have me get an MRCP done and I don't get to see him until April 6th........here are the results:

Summary:

1) The extrahepatic bile duct measures 9mm which may indicate post cholecystectomy benign ectasia.
2) An area of biliary stricture is seen at the porta hepatis involving the common bile duct bifurcation. This appears to produce dilation of the intrahepatic radicles, greater in the left lobe. This may represent a benign or malignant structure.

Could this be a stone stuck in my biliary tract that has caused a stricture or would a stone have been specifically noted on the MRCP report.
Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer my question.

[kittiesue]

I had the ERCP about three weeks ago. I am doing relatively well now but, I do still have a little burning in the same area that was hurting to begin with. I can tell that things are better and hope that they continue to improve. I will go back in three months for a check up with the doc. who did the ERCP. He said that I should be feeling much better post ERCP within 2-3 weeks. I guess I had sludge that was very thick with grit in it. He did a sphincter cut and said if this does not solve the troubles for me that I would need to undergo another ERCP with spybot. He said that the area of the stricture was at the location of the cholesystectomy clips but he did not believe they were the cause of the stricture. He took a brushing for cytology and I haven't heard anything back just yet, so I assume there was no problem. The ERCP itself was a little tough on me. I had a very sore throat for a couple days, gone by the third day, and my pancreas was very sore for about a week, hard to get comfortable to fall to sleep. I was very run down and was vomiting the first day of the proceedure. About 3 days after the procedure I ran a fever off and on for about 3 more days, it was never higher than 100 though. Now three weeks later I am feeling much better but still have some spasms and pain in the area that was painful before the proceedure, but it is not nearly as bad as it has been in the past and for that I am quite thankful. It is a step in the right direction.

[kittiesue]

Thanks, your comments are very much appreciated. I have thought for the last three years since the GB was removed that it was a stone stuck somewhere in the bile duct but after the MRCP, the doctor said there is absolutely no visible stone in the duct and all that was found of any significance was that I have a stricture so that might be why I am having so much pain. I am wondering if SOD can cause a sticture if not treated, do you know.

[kittiesue]

update, doctor is sending me to another hospital to get an ERCP done to check the pressures in my bile ducts and to have a look at the stricture to see what the cause is and to possibly stent the stricture to allow the bile to flow as it is supposed to. I don't have the appointment date yet but will keep posting so others who have the same problems will know what to expect.