Risk of Gallstone Formation in Aberrant Extrahepatic Biliary Tract Anatomy: A Review of Literature

Abstract

License CC-BY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Abstract The age-long mnemonic of '5Fs' (fat, female, fertile, forty, and fair) has traditionally been used in medical school instructions to describe the risk factors for gallstone disease. However, evidence suggests that aberrant extrahepatic biliary tract (EHBT) anatomy may contribute significantly to the risk of gallstone disease. This review explores the anatomy and embryological bases of EHBT variations as well as the prevalence of these variations. Also, we discuss the risk factors for gallstone formation in the relationship between gallstone disease and aberrant EHBT anatomy.