Malignant carcinoid tumor of the common bile duct: report of a case

Carcinoid tumors of the extrahepatic bile duct are exceedingly rare and account for between 0.1% and 2% of all gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors, with most reported cases arising from the gallbladder. We herein present what we believe is only the 47th reported case of a primary carcinoid tumor occurring in the extrahepatic bile ducts. A 67-year-old woman sought treatment for obstructive jaundice accompanied by epigastric pain. Laboratory and imaging studies gave results that were consistent with a malignant obstruction in the common bile duct. We performed a pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Pathologically, an ill-demarcated mass was noted in the common bile duct measuring 1.6 x 1.5 x 0.5 cm in size. The tumor had invaded the adjacent pancreatic tissues. Immunohistochemically, the mass demonstrated chromogranin, synaptophysin, and CD56 positivity. The final pathologic diagnosis was well-differentiated carcinoid tumor of a malignant nature. The patient, who underwent a curative surgical resection, was alive and disease-free at the time of writing.