Liver transplantation in a 29-year-old patient with gallbladder carcinoma complicating primary sclerosing cholangitis

Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are at increased risk for cholangiocarcinoma. This tumor usually is a fatal complication, median survival after diagnosis is less than six months. In an asymptomatic 29-year-old patient with long-standing PSC and ulcerative colitis, routine abdominal ultrasound demonstrated an irregular mass, 11 x 13 mm, in the gallbladder. Cholecystectomy was performed, and histological examination demonstrated a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma with infiltration of all layers of the gallbladder and invasion of local lymphatic vessels. Extensive diagnostic work-up failed to consistently demonstrate metastatic disease, and the patient was offered a liver transplantation. 24 months after the operation, the patient feels well and there is no indication of tumor recurrence. In carefully selected patients with gallbladder carcinoma complicating PSC, liver transplantation may be a therapeutic option.