The biliary tree

Abstract

A multitude of pathologies can affect the biliary system, including infection, inflammation, neoplasms, and congenital and acquired abnormalities. This chapter begins with a description of normal biliary anatomy and anatomic variants followed by biliary imaging techniques. Next, the chapter divides biliary diseases according to imaging patterns-bile duct filling defects; biliary dilatation, subdivided into obstructive and nonobstructive causes; bile leaks and bilomas; absent bile ducts; and biliary cystadenoma/cystadenocarcinoma-and discusses in each section the salient imaging findings and how to correctly diagnose biliary disease.