Abstract
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed on 218 patients at Kansai Medical University. Preoperative spiral CT scanning combined with drip infusion cholangiography (DIC-SCT) was performed on all patients and the cystic duct union was investigated three-dimensiomally. The identification rate of the cystic duct with DIC-SCT was similar to that obtained with endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. The cystic duct entered the right hepatic duct in 4 cases (1.8%), the lower part of the common bile duct in 6 cases (2.8%), the left side of the common bile duct posteriorly in 16 cases (7.3%), the left side of the common bile duct anteriorly in 2 cases (0.9%) and the accessory duct in 3 cases (1.4%). In 1 of the 6 cases of low entry a gallbladder cancer (early stage) was found. Preoperative examination of the biliary tract with DIC-SCT is easy, minimally invasive and useful in the determination of biliary ductal anatomy and anomalies.
