Calcification in mucinous cholangiocellular carcinoma

Calcification is rarely seen in cholangiocellular carcinoma. We herein report the case of a 53 year-old man with calcification in a cholangiocellular carcinoma. Because imaging studies had revealed coarse calcified foci, hepatolithiasis was suspected pre-operatively. The patient underwent a laparotomy in which intra-operative cholangioscopy revealed no gallstones but did reveal an unsuspected tumor with abundant mucin. A left hepatic lobectomy with resection of the extrahepatic bile duct was performed. The tumor histology was mucinous adenocarcinoma with calcification. In the English language literature, we found 9 cases of cholangiocellular carcinoma with macroscopic calcification. Six of these cases were mucinous adenocarcinomas. Roentgenologic examination revealed coarse calcification in 7 cases and fine calcification in 2 cases. Clinicians should note that cholangiocellular carcinoma, especially the mucinous variant, may be accompanied by coarse calcification.