Development of adenocarcinoma at the remnant intrapancreatic cyst 16 years after resection of the choledochal cyst

Development of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma at the remnant intrahepatic cyst portion 10 years after resection of type IV choledochal cyst

Complete resection of Todani type IV choledochal cyst (CC) is not possible, because the intrahepatic portion is not resectable. We present a case of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma that arose from the remnant CC portion that was located within the liver 10 years after resection. A 59-year-old female patient had undergone resection of type IV CC 10 years ago, leaving large remnant portions of CC at the liver and pancreas. Two and four years after resection of the extrahepatic CC, cholangitis with intrahepatic stones developed hence these episodes were treated with percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy. Ten years after the first operation, intrahepatic stones and a new mass were identified in follow-up imaging studies. Because the mass was identified as adenocarcinoma on biopsy, we performed left hepatectomy with redo hepaticojejunostomy. Pathologic examination showed a 4.5-cm-sized moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma arising from the remnant CC with lymph node metastasis. The patient recovered uneventfully and is currently undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. Our case indicates that the remnant intrahepatic CC can undergo malignant transformation long after resection of CC. Since the intrahepatic CC portion in type IV CC is usually unresectable, wide hepaticojejunostomy and life-long observation with regular imaging study follow-up are highly recommended for prevention and early detection of malignant transformation.

Management of intractable pancreatic leak from iatrogenic pancreatic duct injury following resection of choledochal cyst in an adult patient

Iatrogenic pancreatic duct injury can occur during resection of the choledochal cyst (CC). We herein present a case of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) developed after resection of the CC in an adult patient with variant anomalous union of pancreatobiliary duct. The 55-year-old female patient underwent surgery after the diagnosis of CC-associated gallbladder cancer. During surgery, the CC mass was accidentally pulled out, by which the intrapancreatic CC portion was torn out from the main pancreatic duct. Since the pancreatic duct stump was not identified due to its small size, repair was not possible. The excavated defect at the pancreas head was closed securely combined with insertion of multiple drains. Postoperative POPF and peripancreatic fluid collection developed and the patient had to be fasted for 4 weeks. She was first discharged at 6 weeks after surgery. At 10 weeks, she was readmitted due to progression of peripancreatic fluid collection, which was controlled by percutaneous drain insertion. At 6 months, she was readmitted again due to repeated progression of peripancreatic fluid collection, which were controlled by endoscopic transmural duodenocystostomy. It took 8 months to resolve the pancreatic duct injury-associated pancreatitis. The experience in this case suggests that iatrogenic pancreatic duct injury during resection of CC can induce catastrophic complications, thus special attention should be paid to prevent pancreatic duct injury.