Accuracy of biliary duct ultrasound: comparison with cholangiography.

Thirty patients were studied by diagnostic ultrasound and percutaneous transhepatic or surgical cholangiography to evaluate diagnostic accuracy in differentiating obstructive from nonobstructive hepatobiliary disease. Correct recognition of biliary duct caliber was accomplished by ultrasound in 86% of cases, and was most accurate (89%) in patients with dilated intrahepatic biliary radicals. Diagnostic ultrasound is sufficiently accurate to be a useful screening tool for determining the caliber of the biliary duct system and, on this basis, obstructive from nonobstructive hepatobiliary disease.