Imaging the spectrum of biliary tract disease

Imaging the biliary tract should attempt to determine the presence or absence of biliary obstruction and, if present, the level of obstruction. Recent advances in CT, MR, and ultrasound imaging techniques have greatly improved the ability to determine the specific etiology of biliary tract disease. Attention to imaging techniques that can optimize depiction of subtle findings can greatly increase the accuracy of CT, MR, and ultrasound in biliary tract evaluation. This article reviews imaging techniques that can make subtle pathologic findings and associated imaging findings more obvious, allowing for accurate diagnoses.