Ultrasonographic findings of intrahepatic bile duct stone

While effectiveness of ultrasound in diagnosis of stone in gallbladder and common bile duct has been wellestablished, role of ultrasound in detection of intrahepatic bile duct stone has rarely been described. However,in ultrasonographic diagnosis of common bile duct and gall bladder stone, evaluation of intrahepatic bile duct isessential to decrease the incidence of residual stone because about 5-8% of common bile duct and/or gall bladderstone also have stone in intrahepatic bile duct. We studied 27 cases of intrahepatic bile duct stone diagnosedwith ultrasound for recent 14 months from Sep. 1983 to Nov.1984 at Department of Radiology, Seoul NationalUniversity, and analysed ultrasonographic findings of the stones. The results were as follows: 1. In 27 cases outof total 35 cases(77.1%), intrahepatic duct stones were confirmed by operation, postoperative T-tubecholangiography, ERCP. PTC, and CT; in 4 cases(11.4%), there were no stone in hepatic duct; and in 4 cases (11.4%)intrahepatic ducts were not completely evaluated because of incomplete studies. 2. 17 cases of 27cases with provenintrahepatic duct stones had also common bie duct and/or gall bladder stones(63%). 3. Ultrasound showed echogenicmaterial (from due to mass) in 27 cases(100%), posterior shadowing in 26 cases(96%), and ductal dilatation in 23cases(85%). 4.Intrahepatic stones tend to be apeared as mass-like echogenecity, with the increase in size, numberand degree of agregation of stones.