Long-term results after cholecystectomy alone for patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction without bile duct dilatation

A pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PB-MJ) without bile duct dilatation is relatively rare. The standard treatment for these patients remains controversial. In this study, we followed up the patients with PB-MJ without bile duct dilatation who mainly underwent a cholecystectomy alone. Eighteen adult patients with PB-MJ without bile duct dilatation (8 males and 10 females with a mean age of 54.8 years) were treated surgically. When the diameter of the common bile duct was less than 10 mm, such bile ducts were diagnosed to have no dilatation. The main clinical indications for surgery were cholecystolithiasis in 12 patients, choledocholithiasis in 3, cholecystocholedocholithiasis in 1, and carcinoma of the gallbladder in 2. The amylase levels of gallbladder bile in 14 patients ranged from 115 to 454,000 IU/ml. A simple cholecystectomy was performed in 12 patients, a cholecystectomy with bile duct drainage was performed in 3, a cholecystectomy with a choledochojejunostomy without bile duct resection was performed in 1, and a cholecystectomy with a lymph node dissection was performed in 2. Three patients died of other diseases. The remaining 15 patients have all been doing well for 20-209 months after surgery. In conclusion, a prophylactic resection of the extrahepatic bile duct and biliary diversion could be unnecessary for patients with PB-Mj without bile duct dilatation, when no bile stasis, such as choledocholithiasis, is observed.