• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.180-186
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• 2015

Purpose: Bile duct dilatation is a relatively common sonographic finding; nevertheless, its clinical significance in children is controversial because little research has been done in the area. Therefore, we investigated the natural course and clinical significance of biliary duct dilatation in children. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 181 children (range, 1-day-old to 17-year-old) in whom dilatation of the intrahepatic duct and/or common hepatic duct and/or common bile duct was detected by abdominal ultrasonography at the Severance Children's Hospital between November 2005 and March 2014. We reviewed and analyzed laboratory test results, clinical manifestations, and clinical course in these patients. Results: Pediatric patients (n=181) were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups. The first group included 59 subjects, without definitive cause of bile duct dilatation, who did not require treatment; the second group included 122 subjects, with definitive cause of bile duct dilatation or underlying biliary disease, who did require treatment. In the first group, 24 patients (40.7%) showed spontaneous resolution of bile duct dilatation, 20 patients (33.9%) showed no change, and 15 patients (25.4%) were lost to follow-up. In the second group, 31 patients were diagnosed with choledochal cysts, and 91 patients presented with biliary tract dilatations due to secondary causes, such as gallbladder or liver disease, post-operative complications, or malignancy. Conclusion: Biliary dilatation in pediatric patients without symptoms, and without laboratory and other sonographic abnormalities, showed a benign clinical course. No pathologic conditions were noted on follow-up ultrasonography.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2009

Choledochal cyst is a congenital dilatation of the bile duct. Intrahepatic bile duct dilatation of type IVa by Todani's classification at the time of diagnosis resolved spontaneously after cyst excision and hepaticojejunostomy in many cases. It should be distinguished from the true cystic dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts, which tends to persist, albeit after some regression. We therefore studied postoperative intrahepatic duct dilatation changes in choledochal cyst. A total of seventy-six choledochal cysts were managed at the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center from May 1995 to December 2005. The ratio of males to females was 1:2.8. Preoperative radiologic diagnosis by Todani's classification was Type I (n=52, 68.4 %), II (n=1, 1.3 %), IVa (n=23, 30.3 %). Among fifty-five patients with intrahepatic bile duct dilatation we were able to follow up forty-eight by ultrasonography. Twenty-two patients were type IVa, and twenty-six patients were type I and showed intrahepatic duct dilatation. Mean follow-up duration was 35.3 months (9~105 months). Complete regression of dilated intrahepatic duct was observed in fifteen patients of type IVa and twenty-four patients of type I. Incomplete regression of dilated intrahepatic duct was observed in six patients in type IVa and two patients in type I. Only one patient in type IVa showed no change in ductal dilatation during a follow-up period of 15 months. We conclude that true type IVa is much less frequent than what was diagnosed preoperatively by imaging study. Therefore in type IVa patients who are diagnosed preoperatively the decision to perform liver resection should be carefully considered. Postoperative long term follow up of choledochal cyst with intrahepatic bile duct dilation is needed.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.161-167
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• 2022

Congenital web formations are extremely rare anomalies of the extrahepatic biliary tree. We herein report a case of common bile duct septum combined with multiple intrahepatic bile duct strictures in a 74-year-old female patient who was successfully treated with radiological intervention. The patient initially visited the hospital because of upper abdominal pain. Imaging studies revealed multifocal strictures with dilatation in both intra- and extrahepatic ducts; the final clinical diagnosis was congenital common bile duct web combined with multiple intrahepatic duct strictures. Surgical treatment was not indicated because multiple biliary strictures were untreatable, and the disease was clinically diagnosed as benign. The multiple strictures were extensively dilated twice through bilateral percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) for 2 months. After 1 month of observation, PTBD catheters were successfully removed. The patient is doing well at 6 months after completion of the radiological intervention, with the maintenance of normal liver function. Congenital web of the bile duct is very rare, and its treatment may vary depending on the patterns of biliary stenosis. In cases where surgical intervention is not indicated for congenital web and its associated disease, radiological intervention with balloon dilatation can be a viable therapeutic option.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.126-129
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• 1996

Spontaneous perforation of CBD in infant is a rare but fatal disease. We report a case of bile leakage from common bile duct in 11 months old girl with progressive abdominal distension and vomiting, preoperatively diagnosed by hepatobiliary scan with 99mTc-DISIDA, which was confirmed by surgery, Operative cholangiogram showed a small perforation at the confluence of cystic duct and common bile duct with mild fusiform dilatation, and no definite abnormality in confluence of the common bile duct and pancreatic duct. Simple drainage of the free peritoneal bilous fluid and T-tube drainage were performed without any evidence of the complication. Patient was inevitable for 6 months OPD follow-up examination.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.203-208
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• 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe our treatment experiences with patients who had acute abdomen (AA) with common bile duct (CBD) dilatation. Methods: The treatment outcomes in children with AA and CBD dilatation were retrospectively reviewed. According to the shape of the intrahepatic bile ducts on ultrasonography (US), the origin of the pain was estimated as choledochal cyst (CC) complication or choledocholithiasis in normal CBD. Patients with complicated CC underwent surgery, and patients with choledocholithiasis in a normal appearing CBD underwent symptomatic treatment initially. Results: Of the 34 patients, 30 (88.2%) were female. The mean age of the patients was $6.4{\pm}4.9$ (range, 0.8-17) years. Seventeen (50.0%) patients had CBD stones and 17 (50.0%) did not. Surgical treatment was performed in 20 (58.8%) patients, 2 of whom underwent preoperative stone removal with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and an operation. Conservative treatment was applied in 12 (35.3%) patients (8 with and 4 without stones), 1 of whom developed symptom relapse and underwent an operation. Among the 8 patients with CBD stones, 4 (4/17, 23.5%) had complete resolution of the stones and recovery of the CBD diameter after conservative treatment. US findings of patients with stone showed a fusiform or cylindrical shape of the CBD in 14 (82.4%) patients. Conclusion: The presence of stones in the distal CBD and the US features of CBD dilatation may be helpful to diagnose and treat the causes of biliary dilatation. Conservative treatment can be considered as initial therapy in patients with uncomplicated CBD dilatation with stone.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.100-109
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• 1998

The anomalous pancreaticobiliary duct union (APBDU) might cause the formation of choledochal cyst and malignancies of hepatopancreaticobiliary system. The purpose of this study is to make an experimental animal model of APBDU similar to that of human. One to two-month-old Mongrel dogs (n=12) were divided into two groups; the control group (n=2) had a sham operation performed, and in the experimental group (n=10) the end of distal ' common bile duct (CBD) was anastomosed to the side of the dorsal pancreatic duct making APBDD. Serum was obtained for chemical analysis on the 10th postoperative day. The dogs were sacrificed at the 5th week (n=3), the 6th week (n=3), the 7th week (n=2), the 8th week (n=2) and the 6th month (n=2) after the experimental surgery. With sacrifice, operative cholangiogram was taken, and bile juice was obtained for chemistry and bacterial culture. The en-bloc specimens of the hepatopancreaticobiliary system were removed for microscopic examination. Serum and bile juice amylase levels were elevated in the experimental group(n=10), but not in the control group(n=2). Operative cholangiograms of control group revealed no evidence of bile duct dilatation.. On the other hand, the bile duct in the experimental group was markedly dilated without any evidence of stenosis at the anastomosis site (n=10). Histologic examination of the hepatopancreaticobiliary system in the experimental group resembled the findings of choledochal cyst in human. The APBDU of this animal model can produce bile duct dilatation by pancreaticobiliary reflux. We think that this animal model can be potentially promising for the research about the APBDU associated hepatopancreaticobiliary diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.85 no.3
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• pp.581-595
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• 2024

Purpose The present study aimed to investigate the frequency and extent of compensatory common bile duct (CBD) dilatation after cholecystectomy, assess the time between cholecystectomy and CBD dilatation, and identify potentially useful CT findings suggestive of obstructive CBD dilatation. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 121 patients without biliary obstruction who underwent multiple CT scans before and after cholecystectomy at a single center between 2009 and 2011. The maximum short-axis diameters of the CBD and intrahepatic duct (IHD) were measured on each CT scan. In addition, the clinical and CT findings of 11 patients who were initially excluded from the study because of CBD stones or periampullary tumors were examined to identify distinguishing features between obstructive and non-obstructive CBD dilatation after cholecystectomy. Results The mean (standard deviation) short-axis maximum CBD diameter of 121 patients was 5.6 (± 1.9) mm in the axial plane before cholecystectomy but increased to 7.9 (± 2.6) mm after cholecystectomy (p < 0.001). Of the 106 patients with a pre-cholecystectomy axial CBD diameter of < 8 mm, 39 (36.8%) showed CBD dilatation of ≥ 8 mm after cholecystectomy. Six of the 17 patients with long-term (> 2 years) serial follow-up CT scans (35.3%) eventually showed a significant (> 1.5-fold) increase in the axial CBD diameter, all within two years after cholecystectomy. Of the 121 patients without obstruction or related symptoms, only one patient (0.1%) showed IHD dilatation > 3 mm after cholecystectomy. In contrast, all 11 patients with CBD obstruction had abdominal pain and abnormal laboratory indices, and 81.8% (9/11) had significant dilatation of the IHD and CBD. Conclusion Compensatory non-obstructive CBD dilatation commonly occurs after cholecystectomy to a similar extent as obstructive dilatation. However, the presence of relevant symptoms, significant IHD dilatation, or further CBD dilatation 2-3 years after cholecystectomy should raise suspicion of CBD obstruction.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.143-147
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• 1996

Spontaneous perforation of the bile duct in children is a very rare disorder. We experienced a 6 year-old girl with spontaneous perforation of the right hepatic duct. The patient was initially misdiagnosed as hepatitis because of elevation of liver enzyme and then as appendicitis because of fluid collection in the pelvic cavity demonstrated by ultrasonogram. A laparoscopic exploration was done and no abnormal findings were detected except bile-stained ascites. Peritoneal drainage was performed and the patients seemed to improve clinically. Abdominal pain, distention and high fever developed after removal of the drains. DISIDA scan showed a possible of bile leak into the peritoneal cavity. ERCP demonstrated free spill of dye from the right hepatic duct. At laparotomy, the leak was seen in the anterior wall of the right hepatic duct 2cm above the junction of the cystic duct and common hepatic duct. The perforation was linear in shape and 0.8cm in size. The patient underwent cholecystectomy, primary closure of the perforation and T-tube choedochostomy. We could not identify the cause of the perforation; however, the T-tube cholangiography taken on the 42nd postoperative day showed a little more dilatation of the proximal common bile duct compared with the cholangiography taken on the 14th day. Long-term follow-up of the patient will be necessary because of the possibility for further change of the duct.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.178-182
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• 2008

Forme fruste choledochal cyst (FFCC) is one of the diverse types of choledochal cyst with little or no dilatation of the extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD). It is considered that FFCC has to do with the pancreatobiliary malunion (PBM). In children, 3 to 6 millimeters of EHBD is assumed to be normal. Even though there is no clear-cut definition, FFCC is likely to be associated with bile duct dilatation less than 10 millimeters. Almost all cases have PBMs and symptoms of the pancreatitis or cholangitis. We experienced a case of FFCC in a 4-year-old boy. His EHBD measures 10 mm diameter. He had symptoms of pancreatitis and elevated hepatic transaminases. The pancreatobiliary common channel was 28 millimeters. He underwent EHBD resection and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy and was discharged with no specific complications.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2003

Congenital dilatation of the common bile duct (choledochal cyst) is an uncommon disease. Although the etiology is unknown yet, various theories such as distal obstruction of the common bile duct, congenital weakness of the duct and anomalous union of the pancreaticobiliary duct have been offered to explain the occurrence of choledochal cyst. Thirty - six cases of choledochal cyst over 22 years were analyzed clinically and classified according to Todani's classification and Kimura's anomalous union of pancreaticobiliary duct type. Todani type 1 consisted with 22 cases which were subdivided into 19 cases of type Ia, 1 case of type Ib and 2 of type Ic. Type IVa consisted with 14 cases including one case of Caroli's disease. There were 25 type BP cases and 10 type PB cases and 1 normal pancreatobiliary junction. Serum alkaline phosphatase was increased significantly in almost all cases. Seven patients (19.4%) had associated congenital anomalies such as double gallbladder, left - sided gallbladder, common bile duct web, biliary atresia, accessory hepatic duct, heterotopic pancreas, cleft lip and 2 cases of intestinal malrotation. All patients underwent cyst excision and Roux - en - Y hepaticojejunostomy and cholecystectomy. There was one death due to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus sepsis.