Unusual clinical development of a right hepatic duct carcinoma in a patient with recurrent biliary acute pancreatitis. Case report

The Authors report a case of right hepatic duct cholangiocarcinoma observed in a 59-year-old woman hospitalized for a biliary acute pancreatitis. Favourable circumstances conduced to detect an initial carcinoma that could be treated through a local resection. A 3 year follow-up confirms excellent general conditions of the patients without any sign of neoplastic recurrence. Reviewing this particular experience, the Authors highlight all diagnostic difficulties involved with cholangiocarcinoma, especially when its growth underlies a concomitant biliary disease, which may confuse all the clinical features.