MedicineNet.com

About Us | Privacy Policy | Site Map
February 10, 2012

Duodenal Biliary Drainage

Medical Author:
Medical Editor:

What is duodenal biliary drainage?

Duodenal biliary drainage is a little-used procedure that sometimes can be helpful in diagnosing gallstones.

How is duodenal biliary drainage done?

For duodenal biliary drainage, a thin plastic or rubber tube with several holes at its tip is passed through a patient's anesthetized nostril, down the back of the throat, through the esophagus and stomach, and into the duodenum where the bile and pancreatic ducts enter the small intestine. This is accomplished with the help of fluoroscopy, a type of X-ray. Once the tube is in place, a synthetic hormone related to cholecystokinin is injected intravenously. The hormone causes the gallbladder to contract and squeeze out its concentrated bile into the duodenum. The bile then is sucked up through the tube and examined for the presence of cholesterol and pigment particles under a microscope.

A modification of duodenal biliary drainage involves collection of bile through an endoscope at the time of an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy -- either by EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) or by ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography).

Why might duodenal biliary drainage be done?

Gallstones begin as microscopic particles of cholesterol or pigment that grow in size. Once the particles grow large enough to become gallstones, they can obstruct the bile ducts and cause problems. It is clear that some people who develop the symptoms and complications of gallstones -- biliary colic, cholecystitis, or pancreatitis -- have only these microscopic particles in their gallbladders, particles too small to obstruct the bile ducts.

There are two possible explanations for how obstruction might be occurring in this situation. The first is that a small gallstone obstructed the bile ducts but finally passed through the bile ducts into the intestine. The second is that the particles passing through the bile ducts "irritate" the ducts, causing spasm of the muscle within the walls of the ducts (which obstructs the duct) or causing inflammation of the duct so that the wall of the duct swells (which also obstructs the duct).



MedicineNet Doctors

Suggested Reading on Duodenal Biliary Drainage by Our Doctors

  • Related Diseases & Conditions

    • Gallstones
      • Gallstones are stones that form when substances in the bile harden. Gallstones (formed in the gallbladder) can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. There can be just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or any combination. The majority of gallstones do not cause symptoms.
    • Pancreatitis
      • Pancreatitis is a rare disease in which the pancreas becomes inflamed, occurring when digestive enzymes are activated and begin attacking the pancreas causing damage to the gland. There are two types of pancreatitis, acute and chronic. Most commonly caused by alcohol or gallstones, it can lead to bleeding in the gland, serious tissue damage, infection, and cysts. Enzymes and toxins may then enter the bloodstream and seriously injure organs, such as the heart, lungs, and kidney.
    • The Digestive System
      • Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
    • Choledochal Cysts
      • Choledochal cysts are cysts of the bile ducts. There are several different types of choledochal cysts. These cysts are congenital, however, their cause is not known. Symptoms of choledochal cysts in infants include an enlarged liver and jaundice. In older people, the cysts cause abdominal pain, jaundice, cholangitis, gallstones, and pancreatitis. Treatment for choledochal cysts is surgery.
  • Medications

  • Procedures & Tests

  • Pictures, Images & Illustrations

  • Doctor's & Expert's Views

  • Health News

  • Health Features

GI Disorders

Get the latest treatment options.



Symptom Checker: Your Guide to Symptoms & Signs: Pinpoint Your Pain



Duodenal Biliary Drainage

Pancreatitis facts*

*Pancreatitis facts Medically Edited by: Charles P. Davis, MD, PhD

  • Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, the organ that secretes digestive enzymes into the gastrointestinal tract; it also synthesizes and secretes insulin and glucagon.
  • Pancreatitis may be caused by gallstones (by blocking the pancreatic duct outlet), chronic alcohol use, trauma, medications, infections, tumors, and genetic abnormalities.
  • Acute pancreatitis with upper abdominal pain that is often severe and constant over several days, and may be accompanied by fever, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, and abdominal swelling; severe cases can develop dehydration, low blood pressure, shock, organ failure, and death.
  • Acute pancreatitis is diagnosed preliminarily by the patient's history, physical exam and the levels of amylase and lipase in the blood (elevated in pancreatitis patients); other t...

Read the Pancreatitis article »







Use Pill Finder Find it Now

Pill Identifier on RxList

  • quick,
    easy,
    pill identification

Find a Local Pharmacy

  • including
    24 hour
    pharmacies