Gut: first published as 10.1136/gut.30.8.1150 on 1 August 1989. Downloaded from

Gut, 1989, 30, 1150-1153 Case report Epithelial dysplasia in Caroli's disease

J B J FOZARD, J I WYATT, AND R I HALL From the Departments ofSurgery and Histopathology, St James's University Hospital, Leeds

SUMMARY We report a young patient with a solitary intrahepatic without demonstrable connection with the biliary tree. The operative appearances suggested hydatid disease but histological examination ofthe resected cyst showed that it was the result ofCaroli's disease already complicated by severe dysplasia. This case provides further evidence for the premalignant nature of Caroli's disease.

Case history exhibited varying degrees of dysplasia (Fig. 3). There was some periductal fibrosis but no formation of A 37 year old woman was referred with a painless 15 fibrous septa. No invasive carcinoma was found. A cm cystic mass in the right upper quadrant of her diagnosis of Caroli's disease complicated by severe abdomen. and CT scanning showed a dysplasia was made. Dysplasia did not extend to the http://gut.bmj.com/ complex cyst arising from the inferior aspect of the plane of excision, and subsequent biopsies of the . The biliary anatomy, however, appeared right and left hepatic lobes were normal. Subsequent normal and there were no in the kidneys. percutaneous showed a normal Hydatid ELISA testing was negative and HIDA biliary tree. The patient remains well six months scintigraphy showed no communication between the later. cyst and the biliary tree. At laparotomy a solitary cyst

was found replacing the peripheral part of the right Discussion on September 26, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. lobe of the liver. As the appearance resembled hydatid disease the cyst was injected with hypertonic Caroli's disease is a congenital dilatation of intra- 5-8% saline. Aspiration of the cyst contents revealed hepatic bile ducts.' Its usual complications are biliary clear fluid. The cyst was then excised with a narrow lithiasis, recurrent cholangitis and liver abscess margin of normal liver. Macroscopic examination formation. There are also, however, reports of its showed the cyst to be unilocular and smooth walled. association with .2 This case A number of small (2-3 mm) pigmented calculi were report provides further evidence that Caroli's disease present in the lumen. may be regarded as a premalignant condition. On microscopy the cyst was predominantly lined Caroli's disease is not a distinct entity but part of a by columnar epithelium but with foci of stratified or broad spectrum of cystic dilatation of the papillary epithelium showing severe cytological including choledochal cyst, diverticulum, and atypia (Fig. 1). Sections of adjacent liver revealed an choledochocele45 and may have an association with irregular arrangement of portal tracts containing congenital hepatic fibrosis.6 The 'simple' type I is cystically dilated bile ducts, some of which contained manifest by biliary lithiasis, recurrent cholangitis, soft bile calculi and showed cholangitis (Fig. 2). and liver abscess formation. Type II is associated Elsewhere the epithelium was papillary and with congenital hepatic fibrosis, and portal . Carcinoma is a well documented Address for correspondence: Mr R I Hall, MD, FRCS, St James's University complication of .7 Although Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF. Caroli's disease is a rare condition a similar predispo- Accepted for publication 23 November 1988. sition to cholangiocarcinoma probably exists.2 1 1150 Gut: first published as 10.1136/gut.30.8.1150 on 1 August 1989. Downloaded from

Epithelial dysplasia in Caroli's disease 1151

Fig. 1 Epithelial lining ofthe cyst: simple columnar epithelium (right) adjacent to papillary and cribiform epithelium exhibiting severe dysplasia. http://gut.bmj.com/

t5 S|w jll> on September 26, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright.

Fig. 2 Dilated slhowing acute-on-chronic cholangitis and containing a soft calculus. Gut: first published as 10.1136/gut.30.8.1150 on 1 August 1989. Downloaded from

1152 Fozard, Wyatt, and Hall

O

ig% ; n dyspls

Fig. 3 Bile duct close to that in Fig. 2 lined by severely dysplastic papillary epithelium. http://gut.bmj.com/

Several factors may be implicated in its aetiology - architecture. As the dysplastic changes in Caroli's namely, chronic inflammation, bile stagnation and disease are at microscopic level, there is no effective development of carcinogens,8 loss of protective way of monitoring patients or of predicting the onset mucin and finally an epithelium which is intrinsically of malignancy. Adequate hepatic resection may liable to undergo neoplastic change. Cholangio- therefore offer the only prospect of cure and of on September 26, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. carcinoma has been reported in approximately 7% of avoiding the possible development of cholangio- patients with Caroli's disease, at a median age of 51 carcinoma in patients with localised segmental forms years.2 In choledochal cysts the risk of malignancy of Caroli's disease similar to that described here. probably increases with age.7 Epithelial dysplasia is a recognised premalignant lesion of biliary epithelium' "I and we believe that its presence in our We thank Professor P J Scheuer for his advice on the patient represents an earlier stage of neoplastic histology, and Mrs L Ridsdale and Miss A J Heeley transformation than has previously been reported for typing the manuscript. in Caroli's disease. If chronic inflammation and bile stagnation are of paramount importance in the References aetiology, effective drainage would be expected to reduce the risk of malignancy. Internal drainage by 1 Caroli J, Soupalt R, Kossakowski J, Plocker L, Roux - Y choledochojejunostomy is recommended Paradowska Mme. La dilatation polykystique congeni- for the treatment of recurrent cholangitis, but it does tale des voies biliaires intrahepatiques. Essai de not appear to protect against the development of classification Sem Hop 1958; 34: 488-95. 2 Dayton MT, Longmire WP Jr, Tompkins RK. Caroli's cholangiocarcinoma.2 This mirrors experience with disease: a premalignant condition? Am J Surg 1983; 145: choledochal cysts." Successful treatment of Caroli's 41-8. disease by hepatic resection has been reported.3 The 3 Nagasue N. Successful treatment of Caroli's disease by patient we describe had clear resection margins and hepatic resection. Ann Surg 1984; 200: 718-23. further biopsies of both lobes of liver showed normal 4 Alonso-Lej F, Rever WB, Pessagno DJ. Congenital Gut: first published as 10.1136/gut.30.8.1150 on 1 August 1989. Downloaded from

Epithelialdysplasia in Caroli's disease 1153

choledochal cyst, with a report of two, and an analysis of 8 Flanigan DP. Biliary Carcinoma associated with biliary ninety-four cases. Int Obstr Surg 1959; 108: 1-30 cysts. Cancer 1977; 40: 880-3. 5 Todani T, Watanabe Y, Narusue M, Tabuchi K, 9 Albores-Saavedra J, Alcantra-Vazques A, Crey-Ortiz Okajima K. Congenital bile duct cysts: classification, H, Herrera-Goepfert R. The precursor lesions of operative procedures and review of thirty-seven cases invasive gallbladder carcinoma. Cancer 1980; 45: 919- including cancer arising from choledochal cyst. Am J 27. Surg 1977; 134: 263-9. 10 Kimura W, Ohtsubo K. Incidence, sites of origin and 6 Barros JL, Polo JR, Sonabia J, Garcia-Sabrido JL, immunohistochemical and histochemical characteristics Gomez-Lorenzo FJ. Congenital cystic dilatation of the of atypical epithelium and minute carcinoma of the intrahepatic bile ducts: report of a case and review of the papilla of Valer. Cancer 1988; 61: 1394-402. literature. Surgery 1979; 85: 589-92. 11 Todani T, Watanabe Y, Toki A, Urushihara N. 7 Voyles CR, Smadja C, Shands WC, Blumgart LH. Carcinoma related to choledochal cysts with internal Carcinoma in choledochal cysts. Arch Surg 1983; 118: drainage operations. Surg Gynecol Obstet 1987; 164: 986-8. 614. http://gut.bmj.com/ on September 26, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright.