Gut Liver.  2011 Jun;5(2):245-247.

Diagnostic Dilemma in an Unusual Case of Common Bile Duct Obstruction

• Bhandari V
• Singh M
• Vyas HG
• Sharma N
• Chejara R

Abstract

Biliary obstructions are rarely caused by a foreign body and have received sparse attention. We present an unusual case with pruritis and abdominal pain caused by impacted full length surgical gauze within the common bile duct. The patient had previously undergone an open cholecystectomy. Radiological investigations were inconclusive and suggestive of either a calculus or a cholangiocarcinoma. Surgical exploration revealed full length surgical gauze within the common bile duct. Because imaging modalities are often non-determinant, the possibility of biliary tract obstruction from a foreign body should be borne in mind for patients with unusual presentations, especially those who have previously undergone surgery.

Keyword

Foreign body; Bile duct obstruction

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Pain
Biliary Tract
Calculi
Cholangiocarcinoma
Cholecystectomy
Cholestasis
Common Bile Duct
Foreign Bodies
Humans
Pruritus