Biliary dyskinesia is a motility disorder that affects the gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi.

In this disorder, the bile cannot physically move in the proper direction through the tubular biliary tract.

It most commonly involves abnormal biliary tract peristalsis muscular coordination within the gallbladder in response to dietary stimulation of that organ to squirt the liquid bile through the common bile duct into the duodenum.

The motility disorder of the gallbladder is called gallbladder dyskinesia.

Ineffective peristaltic contraction of that structure produces postprandial (after meals) right upper abdominal pain (cholecystodynia) and almost no other problem. 

When the dyskinesia is localized at the biliary outlet into the duodenum just as increased tonus of that outlet sphincter of Oddi, the backed-up bile can cause pancreatic injury with abdominal pain more toward the upper left side. 

In general, biliary dyskinesia is the disturbance in the coordination of peristaltic contraction of the biliary ducts, and/or reduction in the speed of emptying of the biliary tree into the duodenum.

Patients gallbladder dyskinesia present with biliary-type pain, and investigations show no evidence of gallstones in the gallbladder. The diagnosis is made by performing a gallbladder ejection fraction, which is a radionuclide investigation.

Motility disorder of the sphincter of Oddi is called sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. This disorder is categorized as two distinct types–biliary sphincter of Oddi dysfunction and pancreatic sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. Typically, patients with biliary sphincter of Oddi dysfunction present with biliary-type pain on average 4 to 5 years after having undergone cholecystectomy. Sphincter of Oddi manometry is essential in making a diagnosis of abnormal motility of the sphincter.

Pancreatic sphincter of Oddi dysfunction clinically presents with recurrent episodes of pancreatitis of unknown cause. Having ruled out all of the common causes of pancreatitis, sphincter of Oddi manometry of the pancreatic duct sphincter should be performed.

Treatment 

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has been used to treat the condition when due to dyskinesia of the gallbladder.

This procedure has been shown to be effective in curing the symptoms in over 90% of patients. 

In the sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, sphincterotomy results in long-term relief of symptoms in more than 80% of patients. 

When sphincter of Oddi dysfunction is diagnosed, these patients should undergo division of both the biliary and pancreatic duct sphincter. This treatment results in relief of symptoms in more than 80% of patients.