Its distal paraduodenal part is oriented still more right-ward, is accommodated by a groove upon (sometimes a channel within) the posterior aspect of the head of the pancreas, and is situated anterior to the right renal vein.

[4] The distal extremity of the bile duct invariably features its own sphincteric muscle (the pancreatic duct and the hepatopancreatic ampulla usually possess sphincters of their own to allow the flow of pancreatic juice to be regulated independently, however, these two can be absent).

It normally gets slightly dilated after cholecystectomy, with upper limit (95% prediction interval) being about 10 mm after a few months.

[6] On abdominal ultrasonography, the common bile duct is most readily seen in the porta hepatis (where the CBD lies anterior to the portal vein and hepatic artery).

Obstruction of the common bile duct and related jaundice has been documented since at least since the time of Erasistratus.