Common Bile duct

[Guest guest]

To some of you medical folks out there how should I interrpret this....In my

son's MRCP report it stated the common duct measures up to approximately 1cm in

diameter. Intrahepatically, the ducts measure approximately 4mm in diameter.

There is mild diffuse biliary dilatation within the liver and also

extrahepatically. All the doctor said was it was what he expected. How narrowed

are these ducts compared to " normal " measurement? There are so many questions I

never ask the doctor because I don't want my son having unnecessary fear and

worry at his age, and I'm never alone with the doctor. I prefer to do all the

worrying...just like a mom. What strange creatures we are.

Thanks for any help.

(mom of 18yr.old UC/PSC dx3/00.

[Guest guest]

,

The MRCP allow the radiologist to visualize the contents of the

bile ducts, and thus measure their inside dimensions. I assume

all you saw or heard was the written report, and didn't see any

of the films, in which you might have noticed wide areas behind

strictures giving a beaded appearance to the ducts. The

measurement you quote represent how stretched the ducts are at

their widest, about 3 to 4 times normal diameter.

Tim

--- jterry05@... wrote:

> To some of you medical folks out there how should I interpret

> this....In my son's MRCP report it stated the common duct

> measures up to approximately 1cm in diameter.

> Intrahepatically, the ducts measure approximately 4mm in

> diameter.

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[Guest guest]

Tim,

Are you saying they're wider than they should be? I guess this is where the

dialation part comes in. Does this mean some people's ducts are narrow, and

other's too wide? I'm still confused. I remember the ultrasound of the common

bile duct said " thickened wall " ...I guess I'm trying to figure out where he

falls in the course of this disease. The doctor's say very early, but there's

really no predicting which course or the speed things will progress. Thanks for

your attempt at explaining. Are you a doctor,radiologist, or just very

knowledgeable about PSC? Thanks again.

[Guest guest]

Tim,

Are you saying they're wider than they should be? I guess this is where the

dialation part comes in. Does this mean some people's ducts are narrow, and

other's too wide? I'm still confused. I remember the ultrasound of the common

bile duct said " thickened wall " ...I guess I'm trying to figure out where he

falls in the course of this disease. The doctor's say very early, but there's

really no predicting which course or the speed things will progress. Thanks for

your attempt at explaining. Are you a doctor,radiologist, or just very

knowledgeable about PSC? Thanks again.

[Guest guest]

Tim,

I did see the film, and have them in my possession in fact (because we moved,

and I always hand carry medical records), I looked at them, but to an untrained

eye they mean nothing.

[Guest guest]

Tim,

Thanks for the explanation of the dialation,beading,strictures and all that. The

MRCP report referred to it as " mild diffuse dilation " , diffuse would mean

" scattered " right? I don't know why I want all this disected, it's not going to

affect things one way or another. I'm just obsessed with knowing every

detail.Thanks again.

[Guest guest]

--- jterry05@... wrote:

> Tim,

> Are you saying they're wider than they should be?

Yes, at least at the dilated points. The bile ducts start

looking like a string of beads in ERCPs and MRCPs instead of a

smooth tube. The " beads " are dilations that occur behind

strictures created by the scaring of the ducts, made by the

blocked bile forcing the ducts to balloon outward during the

blockage and staying dilated when a gap is created in the

blockage to let bile pass. So the amount of ballooning is being

measured. The ballooning implies strictures and their size how

severe the stricture are/were.

> ... Thanks for your attempt at explaining. Are you a

> doctor,radiologist, or just very knowledgeable about PSC?

>

I am just self-taught about some aspects of PSC. Therefore I

sometimes don't get it right - this may be one of those times -

I have my doubts as to the toatl accuracy of the above.

Tim

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[Guest guest]

--- jterry05@... wrote:

> Tim,

> Thanks for the explanation of the dialation,beading,strictures

> and all that. The MRCP report referred to it as " mild diffuse

> dilation " , diffuse would mean " scattered " right?

Yes, the dilation would be scattered, as you said, you could not

pick out anything on the films that you received, so it took a

trained eye to detect.

> I don't know

> why I want all this disected, it's not going to affect things

> one way or another. I'm just obsessed with knowing every

> detail.Thanks again.

>

I think we all want to " know " . In some sense it forms a base

line to evaluate future changes. Also, when we have some idea of

the current state and what might follow, it helps prepare us for

the surprises that PSC pops up.

Tim

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