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Cystic duct

Confluence

A 3-4 cm duct from the neck of the gallbladder whose mucosa forms the spiral valve (of Heister), which holds the lumen open. It runs in the free edge of the lesser omentum to join the right side of the common hepatic duct at an acute angle, forming the bile duct, and is the lateral border of Calot's triangle, whose contents are the cystic artery (from the right hepatic artery) and the cystic lymph node (of Lund).

Traced from the start

  1. Gallbladder
  2. Cystic duct

Detail

Length
About 3-4 cm
Contains
Spiral valve of Heister
Calot's triangle
Lateral border; contents cystic artery and node of Lund

When it goes wrong

Stone impacted in the cystic duct

Biliary colic or acute cholecystitis; if it persists, a mucocele of the gallbladder, but no jaundice because the bile duct stays open

Low insertion of the cystic duct running parallel to the common hepatic duct with a long shared wall

Difficult identification at cholecystectomy and a higher risk of bile duct injury; retained cystic duct stump can cause post-cholecystectomy pain

Practise this structure

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