Gross Appearance and Corresponding Clinicopathological Features of Cholangiocellular Carcinoma

Masakazu Yamamoto, Ken Takasaki, Takehito Ootsubo, Tatsuya Yoshikawa, Mitsuji Nakamura, Fujio Hanyu

Department of Surgery, Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical College

According to the gross appearance cholangiocellular carcinoma is divided into three type, nodular, periductal and intraductal type. Corresponding clinicopathological features of these three tumor types were studied. Nodular type tumor (n=28); a nodular mass mainly invading the liver parenchyma without relation to the main hepatic bile duct (second and third ramification branches), clinically revealed no symptoms (46%) or an associating chronic hepatitis (36%). The most common histopathological feature was tubular adenocarcinoma (68%). Concerning the tumor spreading pattern, intrahepatic metastasis (43%) and portal vein thrombosis (36%) were characteristic. Periductal type tumor (n=24): the tumor spreads along the main hepatic bile duct, often invading the liver parenchyma. The principal symptoms were jaundice (63%), hepatolithiasis (21%), and lymph node metastasis (50%). The most common histopathological feature was tubulo-papillary adenocarcinoma (58%). Intraductal type tumor (n=8): a spongy, friable mass within the lumen of the main hepatic bile duct. The most common symptom was abdominal pain (63%), histomorphological feature revealed papillary adenocarcinoma (100%). Concerning tumor spreading pattern intrahepatic and lymph node metastasis were less common than another types. In conclusion, this classification is of considerable value for understanding the clinicopathological features of cholangiocellular carcinoma.

Key words
gross appearance of cholangiocellular carcinoma, clinicopathological features of cholangiocellular carcinoma

Reprint requests
Masakazu Yamamoto Department of Surgery, Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical College
8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162 JAPAN

Accepted
October 13, 1993

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