Clinico-pathological study was made on 57 autopsied cases with cholangiocarcinoma, which was classified into two gross anatomical types according to the location of the main tumor; 28 cases of the peripheral type and 29 cases of the hilar one. Clinical features, laboratory data and histopathology were studied in comparison with 134 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, It was found that, 1) mean age was 62.2 years old with a male to female ratio of 1.7:1, 2) Jaundice, abdominal pain, general malaise and fever were the early common symptoms, 3) the peripheral type was similar to hepatocellular carcinoma in its laboratory and clinical features and course, whereas the hilar type, to extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma, 4) no correlation with hepatitis-B antigen was observed, 5) serum alpha-fetoprotein was demonstrated in one out of 23 cases assayed by M.O. method, and in 5 out of 10 cases by RIA, 6) there was no association with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension, 7) procedures which proved most diagnostic were p rcutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography in the hilar type, and scanning, celiac angiography and laparoscopy in the peripheral type and 8) biliary drainage prolonged survival in some of the hilar type patients, with a maximum of 42 months.
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