Biliary microlithiasis and acute pancreatitis.

Forty-two patients with homogeneous biliary microlithiasis were studied to assess the incidence of the various clinical and anatomopathological characteristics of secondary acute pancreatitis resulting from this condition. The findings confirm that the risk of acute pancreatitis is particularly high in these patients and that the steatonecrotic form is the most common. Consequently, the authors stress the importance of thorough pre- and intraoperative investigations whenever the presence of biliary microlithiasis is suspected, and confirm their preference for the radical treatment of this disease.