Obstructive jaundice secondary to nonbiliary extrahepatic inflammatory disease

Two patients with persistent obstructive jaundice secondary to chronic pancreatitis and one patient with this picture secondary to a periduodenal fibrosis are reported. The infrequent occurrence of obstructive jaundice in such inflammatory processes is noted and it is suggested that the presence of a circular muscle coat in the common bile duct protects it from inflammatory narrowing. The need for preoperative anatomic evaluation by radiographic techniques is discussed along with methods of therapy.