Abstract
Irregular vessels in bile duct mucosa are characteristic findings of carcinoma of percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy (PTCS). In order to elucidate this phenomenon, stereoscopic studies were performed on bile duct mucosa of 35 resected specimen. Thirty-five cases are divided into three groups : benign desease and carcinoma without bile duct involvement (Group A, 13 cases), bile duct carcinoma (Group B, 14 cases) and pancreas carcinoma and gallbladder carcinoma involving the bile duct (Group C, 8 cases). Irregular vessels were observed on bile duct mucosa involved by carcinoma in 13 cases (93%) of group B and 6 (75%) of group C. In group A, however, irregular vessels were not found. Distribution of irregular vessels on the tumor was classified into 3 types : entire, marginal and central. Sixteen cases (84%) were entire or marginal type, which was easy to recognize irregular vessels under PTCS. Irregular vessels are observed only in bile duct mucosa involved by carcinoma. Therefore, irregular vessels are tumor vessels and regarded as one of the basic findings of malignancy in PTCS.
