STRUCTURE AND POSITION

• Common Bile Duct is 10 centimeters long and 5mm wide in normal adults.
• Common Bile Duct starts at the junction of Common Hepatic Duct and Cystic Duct and ends by joining Pancreatic Duct and Small Intestine.
• Place where it joins Pancreatic Duct is an important landmark known as Ampulla of Vater. It is characterized by an opening into small intestine and a Sphincter (circular muscle) guarding this entrance known as Sphincter of Oddi.
• Common Bile Duct joins upper part of Small Intestine known as Duodenum.

FUNCTION

 Common Bile Duct transfers bile from Gallbladder to Small Intestine in response to fatty meal, helping in its digestion. Sphincter of Oddi remains contracted normally making bile flow backwards into Gallbladder and get concentrated. In response to Fatty meal it relaxes and transfers bile via Common Bile Duct from Gallbladder to Small Intestine.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

• Common Bile Duct can get blocked by Gallstones from the Gallbladder. This condition is called Cholidocolithiasis. It is characterized by pain, fever and jaundice. If not treated early on time it progresses to death rapidly.
• Gallstones can pass through Common Bile Duct too causing inflammation.
• Cysts formation and abnormal dilations are also some complication associated with common bile duct.