Published online Nov 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i42.15925
Revised: May 4, 2014
Accepted: June 26, 2014
Published online: November 14, 2014
Processing time: 243 Days and 23.1 Hours
We report a case of intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB) that developed in a patient with primary sclerosing cholangitis. A 46-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with obstructive jaundice. The liver function tests demonstrated increased serum liver enzyme levels. Computed tomography showed dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a highly echoic protruding lesion in the posterior bile duct near the right lobe of the liver. The lesion was suspected to be IPNB, but we were unable to confirm whether it was a carcinoma. A right hepatectomy was performed, and this showed that the dilated bile duct was filled with mucin and contained several yellowish papillary tumors. Histologically, the neoplastic biliary epithelium showed papillary growth in the dilated lumen. The tumor was diagnosed as IPNB, high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia secreting abundant mucin. No recurrence has been detected 3 years after surgery.
Core tip: Intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB) is a variant of bile duct carcinoma that is characterized by grossly visible lesions and better outcomes compared with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is considered to be a risk factor for CCA. We report a 46-year-old woman who presented with dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts and mucin in the common bile duct. This is the first case of PSC in which IPNB developed in the setting of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia.