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Extrahepatic bile duct measurement by using transabdominal ultrasound in Japanese adults: multi-center prospective study

  • Original Article—Liver, Pancreas, and Biliary Tract
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background

In adults, less than 10-mm bile duct has idiomatically been recognized as “non-dilated bile duct” though there was no obvious evidence. The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the maximum inner diameter of extrahepatic bile duct (MDEBD) in consecutive adults.

Methods

Transabdominal ultrasound (US) was performed to measure the MDEBD of 8840 cases (4420 male) in five institutions. The frequency of ultrasound probe ranged from 3.5 to 5 MHz.

Results

The mean diameter of MDEBD was 4.5 ± 1.4 mm (range 1–14 mm). The relationship between the MDEBD and age was shown as follows: MDEBD = 2.83 + 0.03 × age. Multiple regression analysis was analyzed between 6 groups and significant α level is 0.008 in this analysis. In all age groups but 20s and 30s, there was statistically significant MDEBD among each age group (p < 0.0001). Mean, mode value and median MDEBD is increasing according to the age as follows: 20s: 3.9 ± 1.0 mm, 30s: 3.9 ± 1.2 mm, 40s: 4.3 ± 1.2 mm, 50s: 4.6 ± 1.3 mm, 60s: 4.9 ± 1.4 mm, >70s: 5.3 ± 1.6 mm.

Conclusion

The present study revealed that MDEBD positively correlates with age. Therefore, when we examine the presence of dilation of the bile duct, our calculating formula appears to be suitable for accurate evaluation.

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Abbreviations

MDEBD:

The maximum inner diameter of extrahepatic bile duct

US:

Ultrasound

PBM:

Pancreaticobiliary maljunction

ERCP:

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

PTC:

Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography

CT:

Computed tomography

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

MRCP:

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to Professor J. Patrick Barron, Chairman of the Department of International Medical Communications of Tokyo Medical University for his editorial review of the English manuscript.

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest in this publication.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan

    Takao Itoi

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Terumi Kamisawa

  3. First Department of Surgery, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Japan

    Hideki Fujii

  4. Department of Gastroenterology, Second Teaching Hospital, Fujita Health University, Nagoya, Japan

    Kazuo Inui

  5. Center for Gastroenterology, Teine-Keijinkai Hospital, Sapporo, Japan

    Hiroyuki Maguchi

  6. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kansai Medical University Hirakata Hospital, Osaka, Japan

    Yoshinori Hamada

  7. University Information Center, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan

    Toshiaki Nakano

  8. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan

    Hisami Ando

  9. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Tsugumichi Koshinaga

  10. Health Care Center, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan

    Keiko Shibagaki

  11. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Taminori Obayashi

  12. Yamanashiken Koseiren Health Care Center, Yamanashi, Japan

    Yasuhiko Miyazawa

Authors
  1. Takao Itoi
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  2. Terumi Kamisawa
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  3. Hideki Fujii
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  4. Kazuo Inui
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  5. Hiroyuki Maguchi
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  6. Yoshinori Hamada
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  7. Toshiaki Nakano
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  8. Hisami Ando
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  9. Tsugumichi Koshinaga
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  10. Keiko Shibagaki
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  11. Taminori Obayashi
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  12. Yasuhiko Miyazawa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takao Itoi.

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Itoi, T., Kamisawa, T., Fujii, H. et al. Extrahepatic bile duct measurement by using transabdominal ultrasound in Japanese adults: multi-center prospective study. J Gastroenterol 48, 1045–1050 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-012-0702-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-012-0702-0

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