[Preoperative diagnosis and management for hilar cholangiocarcinoma]

Liver resection with extrahepatic bile duct resection, wide lymph node dissection and caudate lobectomy has become the standard treatment for patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma. More extended surgery, such as hepatopancreatoduodenectomy, combined portal vein and liver resection, has been accepted for treatment. Such aggressive resection could only offers better chance of long-term survival, but postoperative morbidity and mortality is still high. Various preoperative diagnostic and management modalities including PTBD, PTCS, angiography, MR angiography, MR cholangiography, DCT, CT angiography and PTPE are very important for optimal treatment and reduced mortality. It is recommended that surgeons, physicians, endoscopists, and radiologists, including interventional radiologists should perform the diagnosis and preoperative management of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma in a concerted way.