Case Report
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 21, 2007; 13(27): 3770-3772
Published online Jul 21, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i27.3770
Double common bile duct: A case report
Srdjan P Djuranovic, Milenko B Ugljesic, Nenad S Mijalkovic, Viktorija A Korneti, Nada V Kovacevic, Tamara M Alempijevic, Slaven V Radulovic, Dragan V Tomic, Milan M Spuran
Srdjan P Djuranovic, Milenko B Ugljesic, Nenad S Mijalkovic, Viktorija A Korneti, Nada V Kovacevic, Tamara M Alempijevic, Dragan V Tomic, Milan M Spuran, Clinic for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Slaven V Radulovic, 1st Surgical Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Srdjan P Djuranovic, MD, PhD, Clinic for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Clinical Center of Serbia, K.Todorovića St. No 2, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. gastroendo@beotel.yu
Telephone: +381-11-3615587 Fax: +381-11-3615587
Received: February 16, 2007
Revised: March 15, 2007
Accepted: March 21, 2007
Published online: July 21, 2007
Abstract

Double common bile duct (DCBD) is a rare congenital anomaly in which two common bile ducts exist. One usually has normal drainage into the papilla duodeni major and the other usually named accessory common bile duct (ACBD) opens in different parts of upper gastrointestinal tract (stomach, duodenum, ductus pancreaticus or septum). This anomaly is of great importance since it is often associated with biliary lithiasis, choledochal cyst, anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction (APBJ) and upper gastrointestinal tract malignancies. We recently recognized a rare case of DCBD associated with APBJ with lithiasis in better developed common bile duct. The opening site of ACBD was in the pancreatic duct. The anomaly was suspected by transabdominal ultrasonography and finally confirmed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) followed by endoscopic sphincterotomy and stone extraction. According to the literature, the existence of DCBD with the opening of ACBD in the pancreatic duct is most frequently associated with APBJ and gallbladder carcinoma. In case of DCBD, the opening site of ACBD is of greatest clinical importance because of its close implications with concomitant pathology. The adequate diagnosis of this rare anomaly is significant since the operative complications may occur in cases with DCBD which is not recognized prior to surgical treatment.

Keywords: Double common bile duct; Accessory common bile duct; Anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction