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A proposal of imaging classification of intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma into ductal and parenchymal types: clinicopathologic significance

  • Hepatobiliary-Pancreas
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Editorial Comment to this article was published on 26 March 2019

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate the clinicopathologic significance of a subclassification of mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (MF-iCCA) into ductal and parenchymal types based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Methods

We enrolled 72 consecutive patients, in whom MF-iCCA was diagnosed on preoperative MRI and surgical resection from January 2000 to March 2013. Two readers independently evaluated MRI findings of adjacent bile duct dilation, periductal tumor spread, and presence of diffuse dilatation or abnormality of the intrahepatic bile duct. MF-iCCAs with none of the aforementioned findings were defined as parenchymal type, and those with one or more findings were defined as ductal type. The enhancement pattern in the arterial phase was also evaluated. Clinical and histopathological findings, as well as post-surgical outcomes, were collected from medical records.

Results

Parenchymal-type MF-iCCA (21/78, 27%) exhibited significantly lower serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (12.8 vs. 173.8 U/mL) and carcinoembryonic antigen (1.7 vs. 4.2 ng/mL), more frequent viral hepatitis (43% vs. 18%), less frequent biliary intraepithelial neoplasia (0% vs. 26%), and less frequent perineural invasion (0% vs. 59%) and lymph node metastasis (7% vs. 46%), compared with the ductal type (57/78, 73%) (p < 0.05 for all). Parenchymal-type MF-iCCA showed more frequent arterial hypervascularity (p = 0.001) and better overall survival (p = 0.030) than the ductal type.

Conclusion

Subclassification of MF-iCCAs into parenchymal and ductal types may be useful to discriminate clinical and histopathological characteristics and post-surgical outcomes.

Key Points

• We propose subclassification of mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (MF-iCCA) as parenchymal and ductal types, on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging findings of biliary abnormality.

• Two types of MF-iCCAs exhibit different clinical and histopathological characteristics and post-surgical outcomes.

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Abbreviations

Anti-HCV:

Anti-hepatitis C virus

BilIN:

Biliary intraepithelial neoplasia

CA19-9:

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9

CEA:

Carcinoembryonic antigen

HBsAg:

Surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus

iCCA:

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

IQR:

Interquartile range

MF-iCCA:

Mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

PI-iCCA:

Periductal infiltrating iCCA

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Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the National R&D Program for Cancer Control, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Korea (Grant No. 1520160).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, South Korea

    Hyungjin Rhee, Myeong-Jin Kim & Chansik An

  2. Department of Pathology, Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Integrated Genomic Research Center for Metabolic Regulation, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Young Nyun Park

  3. Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Young Nyun Park

Authors
  1. Hyungjin Rhee
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  2. Myeong-Jin Kim
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  4. Chansik An
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Myeong-Jin Kim.

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Guarantor

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Myeong-Jin Kim.

Conflict of interest

Myeong-Jin Kim is a recipient of a grant from Bayer HealthCare, which is not related to this study.

Statistics and biometry

No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was waived by the Institutional Review Board.

Ethical approval

Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

Study subjects or cohorts overlap

Some study subjects or cohorts have been previously reported in Rhee et al [14].

Methodology

• Retrospective

• Observational

• Performed at one institution

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Rhee, H., Kim, MJ., Park, Y.N. et al. A proposal of imaging classification of intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma into ductal and parenchymal types: clinicopathologic significance. Eur Radiol 29, 3111–3121 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-018-5898-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-018-5898-9

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