Open surgical treatment of choledochocele: A case report and review of literature

Choledochocele (also known as type III choledochal cyst according to Todani’s classification) is a cystic dilation of the distal segment of the common bile duct protruding into the duodenal lumen. Cases are rare and the etiology remains unclear. It is usually misdiagnosed as peptic ulcer, as in the patient whose case is described here. Multislice spiral computed tomography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography may be comparable to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography for diagnosis of choledochocele. Both endoscopic therapy and open surgical management are safe options, and size of the cyst plays a role in the decision-making for which approach to apply. A 50-year-old woman admitted to our hospital with upper abdominal pain caused by choledochocele with large size was successfully treated by open surgical management. We present the details of her case in this case report and discuss the recent literature on such cases and their therapeutic management.