Jaundice and chronic pancreatitis: common bile duct compression by pancreatic pseudocyst

In chronic pancreatitis, obstructive jaundice solely due to common bile duct compression by a pancreatic pseudocyst is highly unusual. In most of these cases, the jaundice is due to fibrotic stricture of the intrapancreatic portion of the common bile duct. We report two cases of obstructive jaundice in chronic pancreatitis with pseudocyst. Operative findings and follow-up during the postoperative period demonstrated compression by the pseudocyst over the common bile duct as the only etiologic factor of the jaundice. We believe that intraoperative cholangiography should be performed after drainage of a pseudocyst to correctly assess the etiology of obstruction.