J Korean Radiol Soc.  1992 Feb;28(1):124-129.

Caroli's disease: hepatic arterial color doppler signals in the communicating dilated bile ducts

• Lee MG
• Han BK
• Baek SY
• Cho KS
• Auh YH
• Kim MH
• Yu ES

Abstract

Three siblings with congenital dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts (Caroli's disease) are presented. Bile duct pathology was associated with congenital hepatic fibrosis and polycystic renal disease in all three patients. On color Doppler imaging (CD imaingl, multiple small color Doppler signals were observed in or near the vascular radicles within the dilated bile ducts, besides other well-known sonographic findings such as bile duct dilatations, biliary calculi. Dopper frequency spectral analysis confirmed all these color Doppler signals as arterial origin in all patients, showing pulsatile wave pattern. Although portal venous radicles are well known in conventional sonograms or computed tomotraphy(CT), continuous wave patterns were not detected in all patients. In addition to previously reported sonographic findings about Caroli's disease, color Doppler signals showing arterial wave pattern in or around the portal venous radicles within dilated duets are another helpful diagnostic criteria and these findings are easily depicted on routine sonograms with color mapping.

MeSH Terms

Bile Ducts*
Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic
Bile*
Caroli Disease*
Dilatation
Fibrosis
Gallstones
Humans
Pathology
Polycystic Kidney Diseases
Siblings
Ultrasonography