Owing to the development of multidetector-row CT (MDCT), capability in the imaging diagnosis of liver disease has increased surprisingly. First, a marked decrease in scan duration of the liver enables us to select the accurate scan time optionally. Secondly, a marked decrease in slice thickness enables us to render isotropic and three-dimensional images completely. In this pictorial review, we described the optimal contrast enhancement of the liver on MDCT and its significance as well as the applications of isotropic and three-dimensional images obtained by MDCT.
Bile Duct Neoplasms/diagnosis/*radiography ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic/*radiography ; Biliary Tract/radiography ; Cholangiocarcinoma/diagnosis/*radiography ; Cholestasis/*radiography ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Tomography, Spiral Computed/instrumentation/*methods

Papillary tumor of the bile duct is characterized by the presence of an intraductal tumor with a papillary surface comprising innumerable frondlike infoldings of proliferated columnar epithelial cells surrounding slender fibrovascular stalks. There may be multiple tumors along the bile ducts (papillomatosis or papillary carcinomatosis), which are dilated due to obstruction by a tumor per se, by sloughed tumor debris, or by excessive mucin. Radiologically, the biliary tree is diffusely dilated, either in a lobar or segmental fashion, or aneurysmally, depending on the location of the tumor, the debris, and the amount of mucin production. A tumor can be depicted by imaging as an intraductal mass with a thickened and irregular bile duct wall. Sloughed tumor debris and mucin plugs should be differentiated from bile duct stones. Cystically or aneurysmally, dilated bile ducts in mucin-hypersecreting variants (intraductal papillary mucinous tumors) should be differentiated from cystadenoma, cystadenocarcinoma and liver abscess.
Bile Duct Neoplasms/*radiography ; *Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; *Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Carcinoma, Papillary/radiography ; Cystadenoma, Mucinous/radiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma is an adenocarcinoma arising from the bile duct epithelium, at the confluence of the right and left intrahepatic bile ducts, within the porta hepatis. In most cases, hilar cholangiocarcinomas are locally invasive tumors which have dismal prognosis if left untreated, with mean survival of approximately three months after the initial presentation. Recently, preoperative assessment of resectability and staging of hilar cholangiocarcinoma has gained importance in better management of the patients. Non-invasive cross-sectional radiological imaging has made considerable advances, and staging of hilar cholangiocarcinomas using radiological examination became more accurate in recent years. In this review, staging of hilar cholangiocarcinoma using computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and magnetic resonance angiography is described.
Bile Duct Neoplasms/*diagnosis/radiography ; *Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic/pathology/radiography ; Cholangiocarcinoma/*diagnosis/radiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Choledochal cyst is an uncommon premalignant anomaly. The morphology and pathogenesis of the premalignant lesion of cholangiocarcinoma arising from the choledochal cyst has not been well described. Herein, we report a rare case of bile duct adenoma arising from choledochal cyst with anomalous union of pancreaticobiliary duct (AUPBD). 50-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with the complaint of epigastric pain. She had received common bile duct (CBD) exploration and choledocholithotomy and cholecystectomy 3 months earlier under the diagnosis of multiple CBD stones. Intraoperalive cholangiogram was not remarkable except CBD dilatation at that time. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed choledochal cyst with AUPBD and round filling defect which disappeared easily on the balloon cholaniogram. On magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, the filling defect was confirmed as 2 cm polypoid mass attached to the distal bile duct wall. At laparotomy, a soft whitish mass was palpable on the lower CBD. On histological examination, adenoma with focal carcinoma change arising from choledochal cyst was diagnosed.
Adenoma, Villous/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Bile Duct Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance ; Choledochal Cyst/*radiography/secretion/surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Amputation neuroma or traumatic neuroma is a tumor-like secondary hyperplasia that may develop after an accidental or surgical trauma. Amputation neuroma of the bile duct has occasionally been reported which occurred in the cystic duct stump late after the cholecystectomy. However, even if the amputation neuroma is suspected in a patient with late-onset jaundice after cholecystectomy, the differential diagnosis from a malignancy is difficult preoperatively. We experienced a case of the amputation neuroma of common bile duct (CBD) developed in a 70-year-old man who presented with a polypoid mass in CBD. He had undergone cholecystectomy 25 years ago and choledochojejunostomy 12 years ago, respectively. We have performed pylorus-preserving pancreatico-duodenectomy (PPPD) under the impression of CBD cancer. He had not been diagnosed of amputation neuroma until having undergone PPPD. We report a case of CBD neuroma mimicking CBD cancer, which was confirmed after PPPD.
Aged ; Common Bile Duct Neoplasms/*diagnosis/radiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Male ; Neuroma/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; S100 Proteins/immunology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Adenoma, Bile Duct/pathology/*radiography ; Adult ; Aged ; Angiomyolipoma/pathology/*radiography ; Bile Duct Neoplasms/pathology/*radiography ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/radiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gadolinium DTPA/*chemistry ; Humans ; Liver Diseases/pathology/*radiography ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology/*radiography ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pseudolymphoma/pathology/*radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The mucin-hypersecreting biliary papillomatosis is a premalignant neoplasm characterized by intraductal papillary proliferation involving extensive areas of the intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic bile duct. We report a case of mucin-hypersecreting biliary papillomatosis manifested as obstructive jaundice and diagnosed only by microscopy, with a review of literatures. A 74-year-old female, who had a past history of cholecystectomy about 13 years ago, was admitted to our hospital with jaundice. A CT scan showed marked dilatation of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct without intraductal filling defect or extrabiliary mass. During endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, mucin extrusion from the duodenal major papilla and dilated common bile duct with amorphous filling defects was noted. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage for cholangioscopy was failed. In the operation field, there was a lot of mucin but was no visible mass at the common bile duct with bare eyes and cholangioscopy. However, papilloma was detected at the random biopsy specimen by microscopy. The patient underwent partial resection of common bile duct and choledocho-jejunal anastomosis.
Aged ; Bile Duct Neoplasms/*diagnosis/radiography/surgery ; Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance ; Female ; Humans ; Mucins/*secretion ; Papilloma/*diagnosis/radiography/surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We report a case of small cell carcinoma of extrahepatic bile duct presenting with jaundice and hemobilia. A 59-year-old woman was admitted due to right upper quadrant pain and jaundice. An abdominal computed tomography revealed a 2 cm sized mass in the extrahepatic bile duct. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed bloody discharge coming out of the papillary orifice in endoscopic view and a dilated extrahepatic bile duct with multiple irregular filling defects in cholangiogram. A coronal T2-weighted image revealed a hyperintense mass at extrahepatic bile duct. Laparotomy was performed, and pathologic examination of resected specimen showed tumor cells having round to oval nuclei with coarsely granular chromatin and scanty cytoplasm, which were immunoreactive for synaptophysin and chromogranin A, compatible with the diagnosis of small cell carcinoma. The small cell carcinoma of bile duct, despite its rarity, should be considered in differential diagnosis of the causes for obstructive jaundice and hemobilia.
Bile Duct Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic/*pathology/radiography ; Carcinoma, Small Cell/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Chromogranin A/metabolism ; Female ; Hemobilia/complications/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Synaptophysin/metabolism ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Small cell carcinoma is usually seen in the lung, but rarely involves the gastrointestinal tract including biliary tract. A 65 year-old man was admitted because of obstructive jaundice. A smooth-surfaced round intraluminal mass with proximal bile duct dilatation was seen in the proximal common bile duct on endoscopic retrograde cholangiogram. Under the diagnosis of bile duct cancer, pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy was done. Pathology revealed a 2 cm sized small cell carcinoma in the proximal common bile duct and distal common hepatic duct. On immunohistochemical stain, the tumor cells were positive for neuroendocrine markers CD56 and synaptophysin. After surgery, the patient received 5 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with VIP (etoposide, ifosfamide, and cisplatin) regimen. However, the patient died of liver metastasis 12 months after the diagnosis. We report a case of extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma arising from the common bile duct.
Aged ; Bile Duct Neoplasms/complications/*diagnosis/surgery ; Carcinoma, Small Cell/complications/*diagnosis/surgery ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; *Common Bile Duct/radiography/radionuclide imaging/surgery ; Fatal Outcome ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis/secondary ; Male ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma arising from the bile duct is extremely rare and the reported imaging features do not differ from those of cholangiocarcinoma of the bile duct. We report a case of a patient with extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), who presented with obstructive jaundice and describe the distinctive radiologic features that may suggest the correct preoperative diagnosis of primary lymphoma of the bile duct. Primary MALT lymphoma of the extrahepatic bile duct should be considered in the differential diagnosis when there is a mismatch in imaging findings on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging and cholangiography.
Bile Duct Neoplasms/complications/*diagnosis/radiography ; *Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Cholangiocarcinoma/diagnosis ; Cholangiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive/complications/diagnosis ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/complications/*diagnosis/radiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed