Passage of a large bilirubin stone through a narrow papillotomy

Large stones in the bile are generally considered to be a contraindication for endoscopic papillotomy (EPT). In the case described a large biliary stone passed spontaneously into the lumen of the gut after EPT. It is speculated that pure pigment stones are less "rigid" than cholesterol stones and are therefore able to pass through narrower channels than cholesterol stones.