MRI of cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinomas are the second most common primary hepatobiliary tumors after hepatocellular carcinomas. They can be categorized either based on their location (intrahepatic/perihilar/extrahepatic distal) or their growth characteristics (mass-forming/periductal-infiltrating/intraductal) because they exhibit varied presentations and outcomes based on their location and or pattern of growth. The increased risk of cholangiocarcinoma in PSC necessitates close surveillance of these patients by means of imaging and laboratory measures; and because currently surgical resection is the only effective treatment for cholangiocarcinoma, the need for accurate pre-operative staging and assessment of resectability has emphasized the role of high quality imaging in management. Today magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice for detection, pre-operative staging and surveillance of cholangiocarcinoma.