Gut, 1974, 15, 48-51

The treatment of retained stones in the commonbile duct with sodium cholate infusionCHARLES LANSFORD, SUNDER MEHTA, AND FRED KERN', JR

From the Division of Gastroenterology, Department ofMedicine, University of Colorado Medical Center,Denver, Colorado

SUMMARY Six patients with stones retained in the common bile duct after cholecystectomy andcommon duct exploration were treated by intraductal infusion of a sodium cholate solution. In thefive patients whose stones were between the T-tube and the duodenum the treatment was successfulwithin a few days. A stone became transiently impacted in the ampullary region soon after beginningtherapy in three patients and produced mild pancreatitis in two. The only failure was in a patientwhose stone was between the T-tube and the liver.

Gallstones are retained in the biliary tree aftercholecystectomy with common bile duct explorationin approximately 10% of patients (Bartlett andDreyfuss, 1960). Since a second operation upon thebile duct is hazardous, several non-surgical approa-ches to therapy, including dissolution of the stonesby instillation of substances through the T-tube(Pribram, 1947; Torresyap, 1958) and removal ofthe stones by instrumentation through the T-tube,have been proposed (Bean and Mahorner, 1972;Burhenne, 1973).The purpose of this report is to describe our

experiences in six patients with retained commonbile duct stones treated by sodium cholate infusionsthrough the T-tube, as described by Way, Admirand,and Dunphy (1972).

Patients and Methods

The patients were studied at least four weeks afteroperation. Their ages and sex are shown in the table.They were fully informed and agreed to participatein the experimental procedure. They were asympto-matic and tests of liver function were normal at thetime of study.

' Requests for reprints should be addressed to: Fred Kern, Jr., MD,Division of Gastroenterology, University of Colorado Medical Center,4200 E Ninth Avenue, Denver, Co, 80220, USA.

Received for publication 2 October 1973.

The solution used contained 100 mM sodiumcholate in saline, buffered to pH 7.5, and sterilizedby millipore filtration. It was allowed to drip intothe duct at the rate of 30 ml per hour for a maximumof 10 days.A central venous pressure manometer, connected

to the tubing between the solution and the patient,was kept open to provide an overflow valve. Thetube extended 30 cm above the bile duct, a heightjudged to be equivalent to maximal pressure nor-mally obtained in the common bile duct (Hallenbeck,1967). When the stone was lying free between theT-tube and the duodenum, the infusion was directedinto the T-tube. When the stone was impacted in thedistal common bile duct, a small catheter was passedunder fluoroscopic control through the T-tube to aposition adjacent to the stone and the solutionintroduced through the catheter. If the common bileduct was occluded distally, bile and infusate coulddrain through the T-tube around the small catheter,thus allowing continuous infusion and continuousdrainage. When the stone was between the liver andthe T-tube, the catheter was passed to a position'upstream' from the stone so that the infusion flowedback over the stone.

Cholangiograms were taken before beginningtreatment and at three-day intervals, or morefrequently if indicated. Cholestyramine was adminis-tered orally at the first sign of diarrhoea. The dosewas regulated by the patient's symptoms, and didnot exceed 2 g every two hours.

48

on June 27, 2020 by guest. Protected by copyright.

http://gut.bmj.com

/G

ut: first published as 10.1136/gut.15.1.48 on 1 January 1974. Dow

nloaded from

The treatment of retained stones in the common bile duct with sodium cholate infusion

Patient Duration Number Location of Stones Results Side Effects CommentsAge and of Perfu- of StonesSex sion

(Days)

VB 4 1 Impacted in Successful Mild pancreatitis, See text37,F distal bile duct haematobilia,

diarrhoeaKA 10 1 Above T-tube in Failure Minimal diarrhoea56,M common hepatic duct

3 1 Above T-tube in Failure Severe diarrhoea Combinationcommon hepatic duct cholate-deoxycholate

infusionCW 3 2 Distal common Successful Diarrhoea, nausea, Complete obstruction19,F (or more) bile duct, pancreatitis few hours after

partially obstructed infusion beganAR 4 1 Distal common Successful Diarrhoea60,M bile duct,

partially obsrtuctedPC 5 3 Free in distal Successful Mild diarrhoea58,F common bile ductMF 3 2 Free in distal Successful Diarrhoea Stone became impacted28,F common bile duct within first six hours

of infusion

Table Results of treatment with sodium cholate infusion

Results

In all five patients in whom the stone or stones weredistal to the T-tube, the stones passed (table).

Cholangiograms before and after treatment in onepatient (CW) are shown in figure 1. In four patients,the stones passed after three to five days of infusion,but in the fifth (VB) the stone passed two weeks

Fig 1 Patient C. W. The left panel shows a cholangiogram before treatment. Arrows point to two definite stones. Theright panel shows a cholangiogram after the stones had passed.

49

on June 27, 2020 by guest. Protected by copyright.

http://gut.bmj.com

/G

ut: first published as 10.1136/gut.15.1.48 on 1 January 1974. Dow

nloaded from

Charles Lansford, Sunder Mehta, and Fred Kern Jr.,

(a)

(c)

Fig 2 Patient V. B. The stone is impacted at the ampulla (vbut completely occluding the duct (C), and no longer presentthe patient did well. Arrows indicate the stone.

after a four-day infusion had been completed.There were minor, but potentially important

complications in three of the five patients who weretreated successfully. In all three, a stone becametransiently impacted in the distal bile duct associatedwith a rise in intraductal pressure and pain in theepigastrium and back. Mild pancreatitis developedin two; both had slightly elevated serum and urinaryamylase levels, and one had an elevated white bloodcount. In two patients, the stone was free in the distalduct at the beginning of the infusion. In the otherpatient (VB) it was impacted initially, and after fourdays of cholate infusion, there developed mild mid-epigastric pain and a small amount of blood appeared

(b

_L~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.... _..

....... .....

a.< ..............

(d)

4), free in the duct (B), not visible,(D). The T-tube was withdrawn and

in the bile. A cholangiogram showed the stone to befree in the duct (figure 2). The infusion was stopped,she became asymptomatic, and was discharged. Twoweeks later, upon readmission to hospital, a cholan-giogram showed that the stone was again impactedin the distal bile duct. The next day before the cholateinfusion could be reinstituted, the signs and symp-toms of pancreatitis developed and after two days,the stone passed and the patient became asympto-matic. In all three patients the obstruction lasted lessthan 48 hours and was followed by passage of thestone into the duodenum.

In the one failure (KA), the stone was proximalto the tube. That patient was treated for 10 days

so

on June 27, 2020 by guest. Protected by copyright.

http://gut.bmj.com

/G

ut: first published as 10.1136/gut.15.1.48 on 1 January 1974. Dow

nloaded from

The treatment of retained stones in the common bile duct with sodium cholate infusion 51

with a sodium cholate infusion and later for threedays with a 100 mM mixture of 70% sodium cholateand 30% sodium deoxycholate, The second infusionhad to be terminated because of uncontrollablediarrhoea.

Discussion

In four of the five patients with retained stones in thecommon bile duct distal to the T-tube, the stonespassed out of the duct within five days of beginningthe sodium cholate infusion. In the fifth patientthe stone passed two weeks after the infusion. Wasthis the natural history of the disease, the mechanicaleffect of bile duct perfusion, or a specific effect of thebile salt solution.Common bile duct stones do pass into the duo-

denum spontaneously, but since they had not passedin these patients during the preceding four to sixweeks of observation, spontaneous passage seemsunlikely.A non-specific effect of bile duct perfusion cannot

be excluded in these patients because we did not usea control saline solution, but other studies suggest thatbile duct perfusion alone would not give these results.Way et al, (1972) used saline in four patients for sixdays without passage of the stones but in all four thestones passed during the sodium cholate infusions.Furthermore, since maximum intraductal pressurewas maintained at a level no greater than normalintraductal pressure, it seemed very doubtful that thestones were forced or flushed out of the duct.

Small (1970) and Earnest and Admirand (1971)showed that incubation of cholesterol stones in bilesalt solutions in vitro dissolves some cholesterol outof the stones and decreases their size. In our patientsthe stones did not dissolve nor was it possible todetect radiographically a decrease in size. It is highlyprobable, however, that a decrease in size sufficientto allow passage into the duodenum did occur. Thisview is supported by the impaction of stones in theampullary region in two patients only a few hoursafter beginning the infusions. In those patients thestones had remained free in the bile duct without

entering the narrower intraduodenal portion forfour to six weeks before the bile salt infusions.The only complications of therapy were diarrhoea

in all patients and the transient impaction of thestone in the ampulla of a Vater, causing mild pan-creatitis in two patients. The diarrhoea was easilycontrolled with cholestyramine in all patients exceptthe one who was given a mixture of sodium cholateand sodium deoxycholate. The deoxycholate wasemployed because of its greater cholesterol solubi-lizing capacity (Earnest and Admirand, 1971).Pancreatitis is a potentially serious complication,but in these patients it was mild and transient.On the basis of our experience we recommenI

continued use of sodium cholate infusion into thecommon bile duct to treat retained stones, especiallywhen the stones are between the T-tube and theduodenum.

This investigation was supported by United StatesPublic Health Service research grant AM 12626and the General Clinical Research Centers Programof the National Institutes of Health, FR 00051.Dr Lansford was supported by a Veterans Adminis-tration training grant in gastroenterology, TR l10.

References

Bartlett, M. K., and Dreyfuss, J. R. (1960). Residual common ductstones. Surgery, 47, 202-205.

Bean, W. J., and Mahorner, H. R. (1972). Removal of residual biliarystones through the T-tube tract. 5th. med. J. (Bgham, Ala.),65, 377-378.

Burhenne, H. J. (1973). Nonoperative retained biliary tract stoneextraction. Amer. J. Roentgenol., 117, 388-399.

Earnest, D. E., and Admirand, W. H. (1971). The effects of individualbile salts in cholesterol solubilization and gallstone dissolution.Gastroenterology, 60, 772.

Hallenbeck, G. A. (1967). Biliary and pancreatic intraductal pressures.In Handbook of Physiology, Sect 6, Alimentary Canal,edited by C. F. Code, Vol. II, pp. 1007-1025. AmericanPhysiological Society, Washington, D.C.

Pribram, B. 0. C. (1947). The method for dissolution ofcommon ductstones remaining after operation. Surgery, 22, 806-818.

Small, D. M. (1970). The formation of gallstones. Advanc. intern. Med.,16, 243-264.

Torresyap, F. C. (1958). Chloroform instillation of common bileduct. Arch. Surg., 77, 903-907

Way, L. W., Admirand. W. H., and Dunphy, J. E. (1972). Manage-ment of choledocholithiasis. Ann. Surg., 176, 347-359.

on June 27, 2020 by guest. Protected by copyright.

http://gut.bmj.com

/G

ut: first published as 10.1136/gut.15.1.48 on 1 January 1974. Dow

nloaded from