Does Cholangiovenous Reflux Cause Cholangitis?

Stewart L, Pellegrini CA, Way LW. Cholangiooenous Reflux Pathways as Defined by Corrosion Casting and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The American Journal of Surgery 1988; 155: 23-8. Using corrosion casting and scanning electron microscopy of the rat biliary tree, we investigated the site and size of the pathways that allow bacteria to reflux from bile to blood. Nonobstructed rat biliary trees were injected retrograde with methylmethacrylate resin at a constant rate of 0.04 ml/min to volumes of 40, 60, 80, 120, 160, and HPB INTERNATIONAL 221 200 !. The infusion pressure was monitored and a pressure-volume curve was constructed. After polymerization and corrosion in 30 percent potassium hydroxide, the casts were examined with scanning electron microscopy. In addition, to identify the size of the reflux pathways, ceramic particles of 150 A, 1.7 , or 10 g were added to the resin, and the studies were repeated. Finally, intact livers with casted biliary trees were processed and studied by scanning electron microscopy without corro-