CHRONIC CHOLECYSTITIS PRODUCED BY DIVISION OF THE SPHINCTER OF ODDI

Abstract

IN AN EARLIER communication¹ it was shown that division of the sphincter of Oddi of dogs was followed by the appearance of diastase in the bile obtained from cholecystostomy tubes placed in such dogs. Normally, bile contains no diastase or negligible amounts of it. The effects of a prolonged reflux of duodenal contents into the gallbladder were obscured by the irritative effect of the cholecystostomy tube. The present experiments were designed to determine (1) whether section of the sphincter of Oddi is followed by reflux of duodenal contents into the gallbladder when the latter is not decompressed by a cannula and (2) what the effects are of prolonged duodenal reflex through an incompetent sphincter of Oddi. Observations relating to these problems have been described by Colp, Doubilet and Gerber.² These authors divided the sphincteric mechanism of the common duct of 3 dogs by inserting a specially designed sphincterotome