choledochale

Choledochale is an adjective used in medical terminology to denote relation to the choledochus, the common bile duct. The term derives from Latin and Greek roots referring to bile and duct, and it appears in descriptions of anatomy, pathology, and imaging of the biliary system.

In anatomy, the common bile duct transports bile from the liver and gallbladder to the second part of the duodenum. It is formed by the junction of the common hepatic duct and the cystic duct and travels through the hepatoduodenal region to drain at the major duodenal papilla via the sphincter of Oddi.

In pathology, choledochal is encountered in discussions of choledochal cysts, congenital dilations of parts of the biliary tree. These conditions are more common in women and may present with abdominal pain, jaundice, or cholangitis. They carry a risk of malignant transformation later in life and are classified by Todani types I–V according to dilation patterns.

Diagnosis relies on imaging such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Treatment often involves surgical excision of the affected biliary segment and biliary-enteric reconstruction, typically a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy; endoscopic management may be used for associated stones or strictures in selected cases.