Choledochal cyst

Abstract

A choledochal cyst (congenital dilatation of the bile duct) shows extraand/ or intrahepatic dilatation of the bile duct, and mainly cystic dilatation of the common bile duct. Although the etiology is unknown, it might be congenital. In 1936, Yotsuyanagi suggested a new etiological theory based on unequal epithelial proliferation at the stage of the physiological occlusion of the primitive choledochus. Thereafter, Babbit proposed an abnormal relationship between the common bile duct and pancreatic duct. However, Rustad and Lilly suggested that this abnormal relationship was simply a malformation associated with a choledochal cyst. Therefore, the etiology has not yet been established.