Effect of complete biliary-tract obstruction on serial hepatobiliary imaging in an experimental model: concise communication.

In order to determine the effect of biliary obstruction on hepatocyte clearance and bile flow, five dogs were imaged before, and three times a week after, surgical ligation of the common bile duct. THe first postoperative study was performed 3 hr after surgery. Bile flow and duct function were evaluated from analog images; hepatocyte clearance (HC) was estimated in digital images from the ratio of liver to cardiac blood-pool counts at 3 min. Liver function tests were measured serially. 3 hr after surgery the HC index and liver function tests were still normal. Analog images showed no intestinal radioactivity, but accumulation was seen in the distending biliary tract. on the third postoperative day, all liver function tests were abnormal and the HC index was significantly decreased (p less than 0.01). The biliary tract was never seen beyond the first postoperative day. Thus, complete obstruction of the common bile duct does not stop bile flow or cause significant hepatocyte damage in the first few hours. By the third day of obstruction, however, no bile flow is detectible and significant hepatocyte damage has occurred.