Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 19, Issue 11 727-730, Copyright © 2000 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Common bile duct measurements in an elderly population
R. S. Perret, G. D. Sloop and J. A. Borne
Department of Radiology, Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, 70112, USA.
We prospectively evaluated the diameter of the common bile duct in 1,018
patients between the ages of 60 to 96 over a 4 year period to determine if
there is a significant change in its size with aging. All of the patients
included in the study were being evaluated primarily for carotid or
peripheral vascular disease. Any patients with a history of biliary disease
(i.e., bilirubin level greater than 1.5 mg/ml, cholecystectomy, or
cholelithiasis) were excluded. Ultrasonography of the common bile duct was
performed only in those patients with no subjective abdominal pain or
icterus. Our results demonstrated a small although statistically
significant increase in the caliber of the common bile duct with increasing
age (60 years old or less, mean diameter 3.6 mm +/- 0.2mm, versus over 85
years old, mean diameter 4 mm +/- 0.2 mm, P = 0.009). Although the common
bile duct did increase in size with aging, 98% of all ducts remained below
6 to 7 mm, the commonly accepted upper range of normal.
