Spontaneous passage of bile duct stones: frequency of occurrence and relation to clinical presentation

Little is known about the spontaneous passage of bile duct stones. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of spontaneous stone passage and relate it to the clinical presentation of the bile duct stone.

Prospectively collected data were studied on a total of 1000 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy with or without laparoscopic common duct exploration. Comparisons were made between 142 patients with common bile duct stones (CBDS), 468 patients who had no previous or current evidence of duct stones, and 390 patients who had good evidence of previous duct stones but none at the time of cholecystectomy. The evidence used for previous duct stones included a good history of jaundice or pancreatitis. In patients with biliary colic or cholecystitis, abnormal pre-operative liver function tests and/or a dilated common bile duct were taken as evidence of bile duct stones.

Of the 1000 patients studied, 532 had evidence of stones in the common bile duct at some time prior to cholecystectomy. At the time of operation, only 142 patients had bile duct stones. By implication, 80%, 84%, 93% and 55% of patients presenting with pancreatitis, colic, cholecystitis and jaundice (73% overall) had passed their bile duct stones spontaneously. All 4 patients with cholangitis had duct stones at the time of operation.

It is likely that most bile duct stones (3 in 4) pass spontaneously, especially after pancreatitis, biliary colic and cholecystitis but less commonly after jaundice. Cholangitis appears to be always associated with the presence of duct stones at the time of operation.