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Choledocholithiasis

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Emergency General Surgery

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Abstract

Choledocholithiasis, the presence of gallstones in the common bile duct, is a common complication of cholelithiasis. It is diagnosed using the combination of history and physical examination findings, laboratory values suggestive of cholestasis, and imaging, including ultrasound, CT scan, and various forms of cholangiography. Once choledocholithiasis is diagnosed, stone extraction is recommended, which can be accomplished by ERCP, PTC, or common bile duct exploration. Same-admission cholecystectomy should follow stone extraction. Physicians who manage choledocholithiasis must also be aware of the acute and chronic complications. This chapter reviews the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, management, and complications of choledocholithiasis.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care, LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Morgan Schellenberg

  2. Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care, LAC+USC Medical Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Meghan Lewis

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  1. Morgan Schellenberg
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  2. Meghan Lewis
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Correspondence to Meghan Lewis .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Carlos V. R. Brown

  2. Trauma and Surgical Critical Care, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Kenji Inaba

  3. Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA

    Matthew J. Martin

  4. Brigham and Womens’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Ali Salim

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Schellenberg, M., Lewis, M. (2019). Choledocholithiasis. In: Brown, C., Inaba, K., Martin, M., Salim, A. (eds) Emergency General Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96286-3_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96286-3_11

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-96286-3

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