Removal of a Large, Intractable Common Bile Duct Stone by Direct Peroral Cholangioscopy

Abstract

ERCP is the standard treatment for common bile duct stones. On the other hand, 10-15% of cases involve intractable common bile duct stones, which cannot be treated by conventional biliary sphincterotomy with a stone retrieval method. Large bile duct stones are typically managed by mechanical lithotripsy and endoscopic papillary large balloon dilatation. Peroral cholangioscopy techniques can be applied if this technique fails. In the present case, a 67-year-old woman had a large common bile duct stone that could not be retracted using the conventional ERCP stone extraction method. The common bile duct stone was eventually removed by direct peroral upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and a polypectomy snare.

Keywords

• choledocholithiasis
• cholangiopancreatography
• endoscopic retrograde
• endoscopy
• gastrointestinal
• therapeutic use
• lithotripsy