Is There Common Duct Enlargement Present Ultrasonically: How do you Measure Yours? (Survey of Departmental Practice)

Abstract

A departmental survey of personal methodology in the measurement of bile duct diameter was carried out by means of a representative diagram of a typical bile duct image configuration. The results revealed considerable differences in measurement practice, and factors that may explain the patterns of interobserver variation, among 20 respondents in this task, were postulated. There was considerable scope for error, by a factor of three times between the smallest and largest diameter selected noted within current practice variation. This reflects similar disparity found in the literature. Within the setting of the development of current therapeutic strategies, there may be a need for confirmation and/or re-establishment of contemporary normal ranges for biliary tree diameter. A study of reasonable magnitude would be required to clarify the many and complex common and special causes of variation in ultrasonic evaluation outlined towards enhancing the utility of this useful and hitherto important ultrasonic sign.