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Two small intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas with different sonographic appearances
T Yamamoto1, K Takeuchi, C Okuda
1Department of Gastroenterology, Toranomon Hospital, 2-2-2 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8470, Japan.
Journal of Clinical Ultrasound : JCU
|June 26, 2001
Summary
This study details two rare cases of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma detected by ultrasound. Severe fibrotic changes may cause posterior acoustic shadowing, a very uncommon finding in this cancer.
Area of Science:
- Hepatobiliary Medicine
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Surgical Oncology
Background:
- Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a primary liver cancer originating from bile ducts.
- Early detection of small ICCs is crucial for successful surgical resection.
- Sonography is a primary imaging modality for liver lesion detection.
Observation:
- Two cases of small peripheral intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas were detected by sonography.
- Lesions exhibited a peripheral hypoechoic rim and a central isoechoic or hyperechoic area.
- One case demonstrated posterior acoustic shadowing, while the other did not.
Findings:
- Pathologic examination correlated severe fibrotic changes with the observed posterior acoustic shadowing.
- This association between acoustic shadowing and fibrotic ICC is exceptionally rare.
- Only one prior case of cholangiocarcinoma with acoustic shadowing has been reported.
Implications:
- Posterior acoustic shadowing on sonography may indicate severe fibrosis in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
- Recognizing this rare sonographic finding can aid in the preoperative diagnosis of ICC.
- Further research is warranted to understand the prevalence and significance of acoustic shadowing in ICC.
