[Endoscopic cholangiography in the postcholecystectomy syndrome]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of endoscopic pancreatocholangiography in a group of patients having undergone surgical operations on bile ducts. This is a retrospective study including 64 patients in whom cholocystectomy was performed both with or without previous exploration of bile ducts. Forty five of these patients were jaundiced and 20 had abdominal pain as main symptoms. Forty nine were females and 15 males, their ages ranging between 18 and 80 years. The canulation of Vate's ampulla and the adequate darkening of the bile ducts was achieved in every case and the cholangiography showed recidual or recurring lithiasis in 75 per cent of the cases; in 67 per cent there was postsurgical stenosis of bile ducts; remnant cystic duct in 74.8 per cent; stenosis of Oddi's sphincter in 50.9 per cent, and in 13.3 a diagnosis of cholestasis was established. This procedure was quite useful in order to establish the correct diagnosis in this group of patients having a postcholecystectomy syndrome.