Abstract

Congenital anomalies of the pancreaticobiliary structure may go undetected until adulthood, and they can be the cause of unexplained jaundice, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. In addition to such associated disease, as cholangitis, gallstone, cholangiocarcinoma and pancreatitis, recognition of these variant anatomies is clinically important for planning surgery and for preventing inadvertent surgical injury. Although congenital abnormalities and variations of the biliary ducts are common, and variations in the drainage and course of the cystic duct are also frequently seen, variation of the cystic duct opening into the right hepatic duct is rare; further, it is important to avoid erroneous ligation of the hepatic duct during surgery. We report here on a case of aberrant cystic duct opening into the right hepatic duct along with acute pancreatitis. (Korean J Gastrointest Endosc 2006;33:187⁣190)

• Keywords: Pancreaticobiliary structure, Cystic duct, Anomalies, Variations, Acute pancreatitis