A 52-year-old woman, a previously diagnosed case of cryptogenic cirrhosis, presented with progressive worsening of jaundice and unrelenting right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Previously, her work-up for known etiologies of chronic liver disease (including hepatitis viral serology, autoantibodies such as antinuclear and antismooth muscle antibodies, serum ferritin, and ceruloplasmin levels) were negative. At present admission, her liver biochemistry revealed total, direct, and indirect bilirubin of 7.8, 4.1, and 3.7 mg/dL, respectively. Serum alkaline phosphatase was elevated at 264 IU/L, whereas alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were only marginally raised. Ultrasonography of abdomen revealed biliary dilatation with suspicion of an intraductal calculus impacted at the ampulla. Interestingly, subsequent magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) revealed duplication of the extrahepatic bile duct []. The duplicated bile ducts were running parallel and were seen to reunite into a common channel at the level of the head of the pancreas consistent with type-Va double common bile duct according to Choi et al. Additionally, a filling-defect suggestive of an obstructive calculus was seen in the common channel just above the ampulla causing obstruction and upstream biliary dilatation (arrow). No associated anomaly of the gallbladder was evident. The cystic duct was seen inserting into the right-sided bile duct. The biliopancreatic junction was unremarkable.
A 77-year-old woman presented to the outpatient department of our hospital complaining of recurrent epigastric pain.\nPatient’s symptoms started a month ago with recurrent episodes, with no history of fever, chills, or vomiting.\nThe patient had a history of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis 2 years earlier at another hospital. She had undergone endoscopic retrograde cholan-giopancreatography (ERCP) twice for choledocholithiasis before undergoing cholecystectomy.\nThe patient did not have a history of drinking or smoking. There was no remarkable family medical history.\nPhysical examination did not reveal tenderness or signs of peritoneal irrigation, and the bowel sounds were normal. At the outpatient clinic, her temperature was 36.7 °C, pulse rate was 70 beats/min, and blood pressure was 122/82 mm Hg.\nBlood analysis showed normal complete blood cell count, liver function test and C-reactive protein.\nComputed tomography (CT) imaging revealed a dilated CBD that harboured multiple choledocholithiasis (Figure ). After admission, ERCP was subsequently performed, and the stones were extracted using a Dormia basket (MTW Endoskopie, Wesel, Germany) (Figure ) after endoscopic papillary balloon dilatation by a CRETM balloon dilatation catheters (Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA, United States). A 5 Fr endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD) catheter (ENBD-5, Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN, United States) was inserted at the end of the procedure. A day after the ERCP, tubography via the ENBD catheter was performed to confirm the presence of residual stones in the bile duct. However, no definite filling defects were observed on tubography (Figure ). The patient was discharged without any complications of ERCP. A day after discharge, she visited the emergency department with complaints of severe epigastric pain and fever. Her temperature was 38.2 °C, pulse rate was 79 beats/min, and blood pressure was 149/85 mm Hg. Laboratory findings were suggestive of cholestasis [aspartate aminotransferase, 210 U/L (normal: 0–35 U/L); alanine aminotransferase, 134 U/L (0-35); alkaline phosphatase, 201 U/L (30-120); gamma glutamyl transferase, 184 U/L (9-64); total bilirubin, 2.77 mg/dL (0.3-1.2); direct bilirubin, 1.32 mg/dL (0-0.2); and C-reactive protein 6.91 mg/dL]. A CT scan demonstrated another dilated extrahepatic bile duct draining the right lobe of the liver, which also contained stones in the distal portion (Figure ). An urgent ERCP was performed as the stones were impacted at the ampulla (Figure ), and the stones with pus were retrieved using a balloon catheter (Escort II® Double Lumen Extraction Balloon, Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN, United States). A 10 Fr, 5 cm endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage tube (Cotton-Leung Biliary Stent, Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN, United States) was then placed in the CBD.\nMagnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) was performed to evaluate the delicate structures of the CBD and to check for any remnant stones. MRCP revealed DCBD independently draining the left and right lobes of the liver, that created a short segment intrapancreatic CBD (Figure ) without a communicating channel, that was consistent with the DCBD Type Va as classified by Choi et al[,]. Residual choledocholithiasis was also noted in the right CBD. There was no evidence of anomalous union of the pancreaticobiliary duct on MRCP.