A Case of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Formed Huge Cyst

Shuzo Kohno, Hiroshi Hano^*, Kazuto Sasaya, Hideichiro Ohmori and Yoji Yamazaki^**

Department of Surgery, National Sanatorium Higashi Utsunomiya Hospital
Department of Pathology^* and Department of Surgery^**, The Jikei University School of Medicine

We present a case of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma that gave rise to the formation of a huge livercyst mimicking the radiographic appearance of biliary cystoadenocarcinoma. A 81-year-old male was admitted on March 10 1997 because of a painful abdominal mass. Abdominal CT scan demonstrated a large low-attenuating mass in the left lobe of the liver. On a contrast-enhanced CT, tha thick wall and papillary projection in the cystic lesion were poorly enhanced. We performed left hepatic lobectomy on the basis of a preoperative diagnosis of biliary cystoadenocarcinoma. The capsulated tumor, 82×78×72 mm in size, was completely removed. Histological examination showed cholangiocarcinoma with a large cyst resulting from necrosis. Based on the radiographic findings and growth pattern, this case presents an unusual type of cholangiocarcinoma, resembling biliary cystoadenocarcinoma. It is nuclear whether suitable treatment and exact outcome in this case depended on the histological type and/or growth pattern. This question should be evaluated in the future.

Key words
cholangiocarcinoma, liver cyst, biliary cystoadenocarcinoma

Reprint requests
Shuzo Kohno Department of Surgery, National Sanatorium Higashi Utsunomiya Hospital 2160 Shimo-Okamoto, Kawachi-machi Kawachi-gun, 329-1193 JAPAN

Accepted
November 13, 1998

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