Liver transplantation for metastases from a bile duct carcinoid

A 29-year-old woman who presented with fatigue and jaundice was found to have an obstructing mass at the bifurcation of the bile duct. The patient underwent a successful left hepatectomy with resection of the bile duct bifurcation and a reconstruction with a right hepaticojejunostomy. Pathology revealed an atypical carcinoid tumour of the left extrahepatic bile duct, with perineural and lymphatic invasion. The patient subsequently developed multiple metastases in the remaining liver.

In the absence of extrahepatic disease, the patient underwent a successful liver transplant.

Two years later she remains disease-free.

To our knowledge this is the first report of a biliary carcinoid treated with hepatectomy and finally with liver transplantation, with excellent results. The biological behaviour of these rare tumours mandates aggressive surgical management.