Gallstone in the bile duct; Bile duct stone

Symptoms usually do not occur unless the stone blocks the common bile duct. Symptoms that may occur include:

• Abdominal pain in the right upper or middle upper abdomen that may:
  • Come and go
  • Be sharp, cramping, or dull
  • Spread to the back or below the right shoulder blade
  • Get worse after eating fatty or greasy foods
  • Occurs within minutes of a meal
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Jaundice (yellowing of skin and whites of eyes)
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Tests that show the location of stones in the bile duct include the following:

• Abdominal CT scan
• Abdominal ultrasound
• Endoscope retrograde cholangiography (ERCP)
• Endoscopic ultrasound
• Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
• Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (PTCA)

Your doctor may order the following blood tests:

• Bilirubin
• Liver function tests
• Pancreatic enzymes

Images

Bile pathway

Prostate

Choledocholithiasis

Gallbladder

Kidney cyst with gallstones, CT scan

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Choledocholithiasis Treatment

Review Date: 06/03/2008
Reviewed By: Linda Vorvick, MD, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)