Intrahepatic cholesterol stones associated with peripheral cholangiocellular carcinoma: an autopsy case

A rare autopsy case of intrahepatic cholesterol stones associated with peripheral intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma is presented. The patient, a 60-yr-old man, was diagnosed as having peritoneal dissemination of adenocarcinoma, and died of respiratory failure 4 months later. At autopsy, intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma was found at the left lateral segment of the liver. The cancer was extensively disseminated to the peritoneal cavity. In addition, the liver harbored a cholesterol stone (1.0 cm in diameter) impacted in the right peripheral bile duct, as well as tiny cholesterol stones (0.1-0.2 cm in diameter) scattered in the intrahepatic peripheral bile ducts. A few tiny cholesterol stones were also present in the cancerous bile ducts. Although the causal relationship between the intrahepatic cholesterol stones and cholangiocellular carcinoma remains speculative, clinicians should be aware of this association.