[The role of intravenous cholangiography in the era of laparoscopic cholecystectomy: is there a renaissance?].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The preoperative investigation for choledocholithiasis in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy is still a matter of debate.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a prospective clinical trial the accuracy of intravenous cholangiography (IVC), ultrasonography and liver function tests in the preoperative diagnosis of choledocholithiasis was assessed in 98 patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy. Only patients with uncomplicated cholecystolithiasis considered to be at low risk for having bile duct stones were investigated. A 2-year follow-up clinical survey (mean) was performed in 92 of the 98 patients to investigate the occurrence of postoperative choledocholithiasis (gold standard: clinically manifest choledocholithiasis).

RESULTS: In this patient cohort the incidence of choledocholithiasis was found to be 5.1%. Among the three diagnostic tests IVC proved to be more accurate with higher sensitivity and a better positive predictive value than ultrasonography and liver function tests. The sensitivity for IVC was 100% compared to 20% for ultrasonography and 40% for liver function tests, respectively. The positive predictive value for IVC was 83.3% in comparison to 20% for ultrasonography and 25% for liver function tests. Mild side effects caused by intravenous contrast media were observed in 2.0%. During a mean postoperative follow-up of 2 years no clinically manifest and initially overlooked choledocholithiasis could be detected in the 92 investigated patients.

CONCLUSION: IVC is a reliable method to detect unsuspected common bile duct stones and should be used in the preoperative diagnosis prior to elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. IVC may play a role in decreasing the rate of preoperative ERCP or intraoperative cholangiography in these patients.