Abstract
A study to determine the length of the sphincter of Oddi was performed using 148 autopsy
specimens with adjacent structures obtained from adults. The median diameter of the
common bile duct was 7 mm (range 4-13 mm). The median intramural length of the sphincter
measured at gross examination of 75 specimens was 14 mm (range 7-22 mm); the median
length of the common channel between the common bile and pancreatic ducts was 3 mm
(range 0-9 mm). Longitudinal histological preparations for microscopic examination
were made of 73 specimens. The median extramural length of the sphincter was 5 mm
(range 1-11 mm). No associations were found between the length of the sphincter, intramural
or extramural, and the diameter of the common bile duct, age, sex, presence of stones
in the gallbladder or the postcholecystectomy state, nor was there an association
between the intramural and extramural length of the sphincter (p > 0.05).
