Preoperative assessment of the aberrant bile duct using multislice computed tomography cholangiography

This study aimed to determine the frequency of anatomic variations of bile ducts (aberrant bile ducts) using multislice helical computed tomography (MCT) cholangiography.

MCT scanning was performed after slow infusion of 100 mL meglumine iotroxate. Overlapping axial images, taken at 0.5-mm intervals, were reconstructed to create a multiplanar reconstruction with volume rendering. We analyzed anatomical variations of the biliary tree by MCT cholangiography.

In a total of 113 patients, MCT cholangiography provided clear images of aberrant bile ducts in 18 patients. Major type (draining a particular segment of the liver) was found in 9 cases (8%) and minor type (draining a particular subsegment of the liver) in 9 cases (8%).

Preoperative MCT cholangiography provides important information about the precise biliary anatomy and can reveal unexpected aberrant bile ducts prior to biliary surgery, especially laparoscopic cholecystectomy.