The relationship between complex cystic ducts and
cholelithiasis has seldom been investigated quantitatively.
Thus we attempted a retrospective survey
on two case series with and without cholelithiasis in
a university hospital. A total of 500 patients who
underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiography
were reviewed, 250 of whom had cholelithiasis and
another 250 no gallstones. They were sampled at
random during the period from 1979 through 1993.
Parameters including the length, inner diameter and
configuration of the cystic duct, and the angle
formed by the cystic duct, and the axis of the
gallbladder were compared between the groups
with or without cholelithiasis. The patients with
gallstones has significantly (p<0.001) longer and
narrower cystic ducts (a mean of 48mm and 4mm in
length and diameter, respectively) than did those
without stones (a mean of 28mm and 7mm,
respectively). Moreover, patients with gallstones
showed a significantly (p<0.001) more acute angle
between the gallbladder and the cystic duct than
those without (a mean angle of 84° and 119°
respectively). The overall frequency of the disfigurements
of the cystic duct was significantly higher
in the group with gallstones (99%) than in the
group without (29%). The results therefore suggested
that complex cystic ducts are associated with
cholelithiasis.