Case Report
Copyright ©2006 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 21, 2006; 12(27): 4428-4430
Published online Jul 21, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i27.4428
Xanthogranulomatous cholangitis causing obstructive jaundice: A case report
Susumu Kawate, Susumu Ohwada, Hayato Ikota, Kunihiro Hamada, Kenji Kashiwabara, Yasuo Morishita
Susumu Kawate, Susumu Ohwada, Kunihiro Hamada, Yasuo Morishita, Department of Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
Hayato Ikota, Kenji Kashiwabara, Clinical Department of Pathology, Gunma University Hospital, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
Correspondence to: Susumu Ohwada MD, Department of Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan. sohwada@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-27-2208245 Fax: +81-27-2208255
Received: March 7, 2006
Revised: March 8, 2006
Accepted: March 27, 2006
Published online: July 21, 2006
Abstract

This article reports the case of a 34-year-old woman with xanthogranulomatous cholangitis who developed obstructive jaundice. Microscopically, the bile duct was surrounded and narrowed by a xanthogranulomatous lesion, but no xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis was seen. Although percutaneous cholangiograms done via the transhepatic biliary drainage showed smooth narrowing of the upper to middle bile duct, the cytology of bile was diagnosed as class V adenocarcinoma. Therefore, right extended hepatectomy and extrahepatic bile duct resection were performed. The differentiation of benign and malignant strictures at the hepatic hilum is often difficult. Xanthogranulomatous cholangitis is one possible diagnosis of a bile duct stricture. Precise review of all the preoperative information is required to make a correct diagnosis.

Keywords: Xanthogranulomatous cholangitis; Obstructive jaundice; Bile cytology; Bile duct stricture