[Ultrasound examination in obstructive biliary disease (author's transl)]

Ultrasound examination with a two-dimensional recording technique has proved increasingly useful in obstructive biliary disease and in abnormalities of the liver parenchyma causing a reduction in biliary contrast excretion. In particular, hydrops of the gall bladder, cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis and choledocholithiasis can be demonstrated where there is biliary obstruction. Analysis of various planes of section is particularly useful in showing obstruction due to the head of the pancreas. The introduction of grey scale techniques and focussed transducers of various frequencies and sizes, suggests that there will be further improvements in the sonographic diagnosis of the hilum of the liver and of the intrahepatic biliary passages.