Gallbladder and Bile Duct Disorders

Gallbladder and bile duct disorders encompass a range of conditions—from gallstone-driven cholecystitis and pancreatitis to malignant obstruction caused by cholangiocarcinoma—that collectively account for millions of hospitalizations and surgical procedures each year. Clinicians rely on tools such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound to both diagnose structural problems within the biliary tract and intervene directly, for instance by placing drainage stents or clearing obstructing stones. Bile duct injury, whether from surgery or disease, remains a serious complication that carries long-term consequences for liver function and quality of life, making standardized management frameworks like the Tokyo Guidelines for acute cholangitis an important reference point for practice. Active research continues to refine when and how to use metal versus plastic stents for drainage, how to detect cholangiocarcinoma at earlier and more treatable stages, and how best to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis, one of the procedure's most common adverse outcomes.

Works

111,945

Total citations

1,052,047

Keywords

ERCPCholecystitisBiliary DrainagePancreatitisGallstonesCholangiocarcinoma