Published online Oct 14, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i38.10926
Peer-review started: March 27, 2015
First decision: April 24, 2015
Revised: May 27, 2015
Accepted: August 31, 2015
Article in press: August 31, 2015
Published online: October 14, 2015
Processing time: 202 Days and 11.5 Hours
This report describes a rare case of hilar cholangiocarcinoma with intratumoral calcification that mimicked hepatolithiasis. A 73-year-old man presented to a local hospital with a calcified lesion in the hepatic hilum. At first, hepatolithiasis was diagnosed, and he underwent endoscopic stone extraction via the trans-papillary route. This treatment strategy failed due to biliary stricture. He was referred to our hospital, and further examination suggested the existence of cholangiocarcinoma. He underwent left hepatectomy with caudate lobectomy and extrahepatic bile duct resection. Pathological examination revealed hilar cholangiocarcinoma with intratumoral calcification, while no stones were found. To the best of our knowledge, only one case of calcified hilar cholangiocarcinoma has been previously reported in the literature. Here, we report a rare case of calcified hilar cholangiocarcinoma and reveal its clinicopathologic features.
Core tip: Our report describes an extremely rare case of hilar cholangiocarcinoma with intratumoral calcification. Imaging findings of this case were confusingly similar to those of hepatolithiasis, and it was extremely difficult to make an accurate diagnosis using available radiological findings. We performed pathological examination and observed hilar cholangiocarcinoma with intratumoral calcification. We herein report a rare case of calcified hilar cholangiocarcinoma and reveal its clinicopathologic features.