CONGENITAL CYSTIC DILATATION OF THE COMMON BILE DUCT

Abstract

Cystic enlargements of the common bile duct have been variously described as congenital, idiopathic and acquired. They have been called cysts, cystic dilatations and diverticulae of the duct. The etiology of the condition is obscure, and although many explanations have been offered, none of them seems to be completely satisfactory. Correct diagnosis before operation was apparently made only three times in the eighty-three cases recorded, and in many instances, the true condition was not recognized even at operation. Such errors will doubtless be repeated in the future, for few surgeons actually see a patient with this lesion. Therefore, unless the clinical picture is clear in the mind of the observer, it is unlikely that a correct preoperative diagnosis will be made. In contrast with this frequent failure in diagnosis, the methods of treatment have steadily improved, so that in the more recent cases, even when surgeons were not familiar with