A Case of Small Cell Carcinoma of the Extrahepatic Bile Duct in which the Patient is surviving without Recurrence 5 years after Surgery

Masato Kano, Hokahiro Katayama, Masayuki Nakau, Sato Suzaki and Ken Yanagibashi

Department of Surgery, Otsu Municipal Hospital

A 62-year-old man reporting jaundice found in cholangiography to have a clear-margined oval shadow defect at the end of the common bile duct diagnosed by frozen section as poorly differentiated carcinoma underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. Pathological studies showed relatively homogenous cells with solid growth and immunohistochemical analysis positive staining for CD-56,; yielding a definitive diagnosis of small cell carcinoma of the common bile duct, Stage III (pT3pN0M (-) ). Tegafur/uracil administered as adjuvant chemotherapy for a year has resulted in the man's survival without recurrence in the 5 years since surgery. Small cell carcinoma and adenoendocrine cell carcinoma of the bile duct are highly malignant diseases with a dismal prognosis and median survival of just 9.5 months. Fortunately, they are also rare and, to the best of our knowledge, this is only the 32nd case reported in the Japanese literature.

Key words
small cell carcinoma, adenoendocrine cell carcinoma, common bile duct

Reprint requests
Masato Kano Department of Surgery, Otsu Municipal Hospital
2-9-9 Motomiya, Otsu, 520-0804 JAPAN

Accepted
July 22, 2009

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