Common bile duct obstruction caused by synthetic linear foreign material in a canine dachshund

Abstract

A 1‐year‐old, female, spayed dachshund presenting with clinical signs associated with cholangiohepatitis and cholangitis was found to have synthetic linear foreign material causing a common bile duct obstruction. The patient underwent a cholecystectomy, and foreign material was removed from the common bile duct via retrograde flushing into the duodenal papilla and manual retrieval. At the 6‐month post‐operative follow up visit, the patient had an improved cholestatic hepatopathy, with only a mild alkaline phosphatase elevation, moderate dilation of the common bile duct on ultrasonography, and was doing clinically well at home. 8 months post‐operatively, the patient re‐presented for an episode of septic cholangiohepatitis, with linear foreign material visualised within a dilated common bile duct on ultrasound. This episode was medically managed and was resolved with a 2‐week course of antibiotics. 1.5 years post‐operatively, the patient is doing clinically well, but continues to have persistent, moderate elevations of alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase.