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Preoperative assessment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma using multidetector-row CT: correlation with histopathological findings

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Abstract

Purpose

Our aim was to investigate the diagnostic reliability of multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) for preoperative assessment of local tumoral spread in hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Mateirals and methods

Thirteen of 30 consecutive patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma who underwent surgery, excluding 17 patients who underwent biliary drainage or preoperative portal embolization, were retrospectively evaluated. Using MDCT systems of 4 detector rows or 16 detector rows, plain and dynamic contrast-enhanced images of three phases were obtained. Extent of tumor spread and lymph node metastasis were assessed with MDCT and compared with histopathological findings.

Results

The Bismuth-Corlette classification of hilar cholangiocarcinoma with MDCT were type I, 1 patient; type IIIa, 3 patients; type IIIb, 4 patients; and type IV, 5 patients; those with histopathological findings were type I, 1 patient; type IIIa, 2 patients; type IIIb, 4 patients; and type IV, 6 patients. One patient diagnosed as type IIIa with MDCT was pathologically diagnosed as type IV. Accuracy of MDCT in tumoral spread was 92.3%, although that of lymph node metastasis was 54%.

Conclusion

MDCT is likely to play an important role in evaluation of focal lesion spread especially in intrapancreatic tumor invasion, although a greater number of cohort cases are necessary to clearly define its role.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan

    Takeyuki Watadani, Masaaki Akahane & Kuni Ohtomo

  2. Department of Computational Diagnostic Radiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Takeharu Yoshikawa

Authors
  1. Takeyuki Watadani
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  2. Masaaki Akahane
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  3. Takeharu Yoshikawa
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  4. Kuni Ohtomo
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Correspondence to Takeyuki Watadani.

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Watadani, T., Akahane, M., Yoshikawa, T. et al. Preoperative assessment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma using multidetector-row CT: correlation with histopathological findings. Radiat Med 26, 402–407 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-008-0249-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-008-0249-4

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