Virtual CT cholangiography in patients with choledocholithiasis.

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the feasibility and accuracy of virtual computed tomographic cholangiography (VCTC) in detecting choledocholithiasis and imaging anatomic variations of the biliary tree.

METHODS

Thirty-three consecutive patients with clinical and biological signs of choledocholithiasis underwent spiral CT after intravenous infusion of iotroxindimeglumine. Patients with total serum bilirubin levels above 3 mg/dL were not included in this study. Spiral data sets were used to construct intralumenal images of the biliary tree. The images were reviewed by two abdominal radiologists. The biliary ducts were divided into three segments, so the analysis was based on 99 segments. The diagnosis obtained by VCTC was compared with the final diagnosis established by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography or intraoperative cholangiography.

RESULTS

VCTC correctly depicted biliary stones in nine of 10 patients and anatomic variations in all five patients, and no false-positive cases were observed. VCTC showed excellent endolumenal visualization of 87 of 99 segments of the biliary tree. The processing time (9.3 +/- 2.1 min) was particularly short.

CONCLUSION

VCTC with intravenous infusion of iotroxindimeglumine may be a feasible clinical tool, with acceptable accuracy in selected cases.