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Abstract
BACKGROUND Helical computed tomography performed after intravenous administration of a cholangiographic contrast material (HCT-cholangiography) may be useful for detecting bile duct stones in non-jaundiced patients. However, this method has never been compared with other non-invasive biliary imaging tests.
AIMS To compare prospectively HCT-cholangiography and endosonography (EUS) in a group of non-jaundiced patients with suspected bile duct stones.
METHODS Fifty two subjects underwent both HCT-cholangiography and EUS. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP), with or without instrumental bile duct exploration, served as a reference method, and was successful in all but two patients.
RESULTS Thirty four patients (68%) were found to have choledocholithiasis at ERCP. The sensitivity for HCT-cholangiography in stone detection was 85%, specificity 88%, and accuracy 86%. For EUS the sensitivity was 91%, specificity 100%, and accuracy 94%. The differences were not significant. No serious complications occurred with either method.
CONCLUSIONS HCT-cholangiography and EUS are safe and comparably accurate methods for detecting bile duct stones in non-jaundiced patients.
- bile duct
- calculi
- endoscopic ultrasonography
- computed tomography
- cholangiography.
Abbreviations used in this paper
- CT
- computed tomography
- HCT
- helical computed tomography
- EUS
- endoscopic ultrasonography, endosonography
- MRCP
- magnetic resonance cholangiography
- ERCP
- endoscopic retrograde cholangiography
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Abbreviations used in this paper
- CT
- computed tomography
- HCT
- helical computed tomography
- EUS
- endoscopic ultrasonography, endosonography
- MRCP
- magnetic resonance cholangiography
- ERCP
- endoscopic retrograde cholangiography