[Dilatation of the common bile duct: what does endoscopic sonography contribute?]

In a prospective study 20 patients (14 women, 6 men; mean age 62 [31-81] years) with extrahepatic obstructive jaundice (n = 15) or common bile duct dilatation (CBD) without cholestasis (n = 5) were investigated by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). All these patients underwent negative transabdominal ultrasonography (US) (n = 20) and computed tomography (CT) (n = 16). Inclusion criterion was a dilatation of the CBD of > 7 mm or > 10 mm in patients with previous cholecystectomy. The definitive diagnosis of a tumor (n = 8), choledocholithiasis (n = 7), stone migration (n = 1), choledochocele (n = 2) or slight dilatation of the CBD without obstruction (n = 2) was confirmed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) (n = 13), percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) (n = 2), intraoperative cholangiography (n = 1) and follow up (n = 4; mean 21 [3-36] mo.). Dilatation of the CBD could be demonstrated in all cases by EUS. Common bile duct stones (2-15 mm) were demonstrated by EUS in every case. CBD dilatation without underlying obstruction was correctly identified by EUS in all patients and confirmed by further clinical and laboratory findings as well as EUS and ERCP (n = 1). EUS correctly described the localization of a malignant obstruction (n = 8) as confirmed by ERCP/PTC. All tumors (pancreatic head carcinoma n = 3, periampullary tumor (n = 5) could be visualized by EUS. The diagnosis was confirmed by surgery (n = 5) or ultrasound guided fine needle puncture (FNP) after a bile duct prosthesis had been placed (n = 3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)