Ultrasonography and hepatobiliary scintigraphy in the assessment of biliary-enteric anastomoses.

Twenty-three patients with surgical diversion of the biliary tract were serially studied with ultrasonography and hepatobiliary scintigraphy using 99mTc-HIDA or 99mTc-disofenin. Refluxed biliary air resulted in nondiagnostic sonograms in 14% of cases. Persistent postoperative dilatation was present in five patients (22%). Scintigraphy allowed differentiation of biliary dilatation with obstruction from nonobstructed dilatation. By coordinating the noninvasive imaging results, those patients requiring study using direct injection of contrast material may be selected.