Aberrant hepatic duct connected with the main pancreatic duct by anomalous pancreato-biliary ductal union: case report.

An aberrant hepatic duct directly connected to the main pancreatic duct with anomalous arrangement of the pancreato-biliary ductal system is reported here, the first report of such a case, to our knowledge. A 53-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of cholecystolithiasis with abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) showed that an aberrant hepatic duct, which independently drained the right posterior segment of the liver, connected to the main pancreatic duct at a high insertion site distal to the sphincter area of the major papilla. The common bile duct (containing stones), on the other hand, united with the main pancreatic duct in a normal fashion. Cholecystectomy and bile duct lithotomy were performed. The aberrant hepatic duct was separated from the main pancreatic duct just above the junction, and was anastomosed side-by-side to the common hepatic duct. The embryologic development of this lesion is not clear, but is discussed in this report.