A 63 year-old woman was admitted to our hospital suffering from back pains. Ultrasonography revealed intrahepatic stones in the dilated bile duct in the lateral segment. By ERC and PTC we witnessed that there were stones and mucous-like substance in the intra-and extrahepatic bile duct.
Also large compartmented dilatation of the bile duct branches in the lateral segment were observed.
To our surprise chlangiogram after lithotomy by percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy revealed the same dilatation of the compartment in the lateral segment.
Therefore we repositioned the PTCD catheter to the compar t ment and encountered further mucus flow. Cholangioscope showed rough granular surface in the bile duct mucosa in the lateral segment. Hepatobiliary scintigram showed partial defect in the lateral segment. Lateral segmentectomy was then performed. Histopathological findings exhibited papillary adenocarcinoma of the bile duct in the Cuinaud′s segment 2 and dysplasia in the other branches of lateral segment.
We feel for an accurate diagnosis and treatment of cholangiocarcinoma associated with intrahepatic gallstones, there is a need for careful observation by cholangiography, cholangioscopy and hepatobiliary scintigraphy.
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