[Preoperative and postoperative lengths of extrahepatic biliary duct measured by direct cholangiography]

The lengths of extrahepatic duct of 110 cases of cholecystolithiasis and 108 cases of choledocholithiasis were compared by direct cholangiography. An average length of the former was 11.0 +/- 1.45 cm, while that of the latter was 12.5 +/- 1.50 cm. There was remarkable change in length between cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis. The length of 75 postoperative choledocholithiasis was 10.4 +/- 1.06 cm. The postoperative length of extrahepatic duct of choledocholithiasis was shorten significantly. There was no significant postoperative change in length in cholecystolithiasis and post-operative significantly. There was no significant postoperative change in length in choledocholithiasis. Because almost same length as that of cholecystolithiasis. As for the location of duodenal entry of the choledochus, there was no remarkable difference between cholecystolithiasis group and choledocholithiasis group. Remarkable difference of the length of extrahepatic duct between cholecystolithiasis group and choledocholithiasis group was not observed after surgery. These data suggested that the length of the extrahepatic bile duct is not the cause of stone formation, but the result of choledocholithiasis.