[Ectopic openings of the common bile duct. A contribution to the physiological study of the sphincter of Oddi (author's transl)].

Two cases of ectopic openings of the common bile duct are reported. In one case there was a congenital short duct opening into DI, the presence of a spontaneous duodenobiliary reflux due to absence of the papilla being demonstrated by clinical and radiological examinations. The other patient had a long duct opening into D3 and no duodenobiliary reflux, but with an intact sphincter of Oddi explored in detail by means of combined choledochoduodenal manometry. These two cases demonstrate that the duodenal wall has only a moderate effect in preventing duodenobiliary reflux. The essential element is the sphincter of Oddi: if present, there is no reflux, if absent, reflux occurs.