Difference between intrahepatic bile duct stones and intrahepatic calcification

     Intrahepatic bile duct stones are closely related to liver metabolism, biliary tract inflammation and parasitic diseases, and are often associated with fever, abdominal pain and jaundice. The typical ultrasound features are strong echogenic clusters along the intrahepatic bile ducts with posterior clean sound shadow and distal small bile duct dilatation. The bile duct stones are mostly bile pigment stones with a low calcium content, and the CT value is usually between 50 and 100 HU, which is significantly lower than that of intrahepatic calcified foci with calcium as the main component. However, some bile duct stones are small, with high calcium content and no bile duct dilatation, so they are not easily distinguished from intrahepatic calcified foci, and cholangiography can help to differentiate them.  The intrahepatic calcified foci are “scars” formed after the inflammation of liver parenchyma cells, which are generally harmless. Some patients may have the same stuffy feeling in the liver area as patients with intrahepatic bile duct stones, and generally do not need treatment if diagnosed. The calcified spots in the liver may be due to partial calcification of the intrahepatic bile duct wall. It is mostly caused by inflammation, tuberculosis, etc. It may also be a fibrotic scar of localized necrosis of the liver tissue. With the popularization and development of ultrasound technology in hospitals at all levels, many healthy people find strong echogenic clusters and sound shadows similar to stones in the liver during physical examination. In contrast, there is dilation of the small bile ducts above the obstruction site, and the strong echogenic masses of stones have the characteristic of being distributed along the left and right hepatic ducts. The CT value is measured more than 100-200 HU.