[The potentials of echotomography in the diagnosis of diseases of the liver, biliary tract and pancreas in the presence of the extrahepatic cholestasis syndrome].

2260 patients with gastroenterologic diseases were examined by ultrasound tomography (sector echotomograph). In 47 (2.8%) of the patients echographic signs of extrahepatic cholestasis were found: dilated ductus choledochus (65.9%), dilated ductus hepaticus (34%), dilated intrahepatic biliary ducts (34%), echographic data for stones in the biliary ducts (54.5%), dilated ductus pancreaticus (18.1%), focal changes in pancreas and liver (13.6%), hydrops of the gall bladder (6.8%). The patients were classified in two groups: in the first group the ultrasound tomography succeeded in proving the cause of the cholestasis (75%) while in the second group the cause of the cholestasis remained unproved (25%), which required other additional examination such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and computed tomography. In two patients the cause of cholestasis was determined intra operationem. The site of the obstruction was determined by the ultrasound examination in all patients. The importance of the ultrasound examination of the biliary ducts and its advantages as a nonaggressive screening method for diagnosis of diseases with obstructive jaundice is pointed out.