Can bile duct cancer be seen on CT?

Computed tomography (CT) scan Help diagnose bile duct cancer by showing tumors in the area. Help stage the cancer (find out how far it has spread). CT scans can show the organs near the bile duct (especially the liver), as well as lymph nodes and distant organs where cancer might have spread to.

What does cholangiocarcinoma look like?

Signs and symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma include: Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice) Intensely itchy skin. White-colored stools.

How can you tell the difference between HCC and cholangiocarcinoma?

Whereas hepatocellular carcinomas develop by malignant transformation of hepatocytes, cholangiocarcinomas arise from the small intrahepatic bile duct epithelium. The UICC-TNM classification of malignant liver tumors is applied for both tumor entities.

How often is cholangiocarcinoma misdiagnosed?

Cholangiocarcinoma was suspected by an oncologist in 38% of patients and diagnosed by an oncologist in 70%. Primary care physicians suspected or diagnosed the disease in 22% and 3%, respectively, and gastroenterologists in 17% and 12%, respectively.

What is the most common location of cholangiocarcinoma?

Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (also known as a Klatskin tumor) begins in an area called the hilum, where the right and left major bile ducts join and leave the liver. It is the most common form of the disease, accounting for more than half of all cases.

Can a blood test detect cholangiocarcinoma?

Blood testing – Lab tests can detect the amounts of bilirubin, albumin and liver enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, AST, ALT and GGT) in the blood; excessive levels can indicate bile duct blockages or other problems. Blood tests can also reveal tumor markers CEA and CA 19-9, both of which are potential signs of cancer.

What is hexagonal structure of the liver?

The liver lobes are made up of microscopic units called lobules which are roughly hexagonal in shape. These lobules comprise of rows of liver cells (hepatocytes) which radiate out from a central point.

What is a lobule in the liver?

The hepatic lobule is the anatomic unit of the liver. In the anatomic model, liver lobules are organized into irregular polygons demarcated by connective tissue and composed of plates of hepatocytes radiating outward from the central vein to the portal triads (Figure 61-1).

Is cholangiocarcinoma palpable?

Patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma (tumors involving extrahepatic bile ducts) usually have early onset of jaundice and pruritus without abdominal pain. Upon physical examination, these patients usually have a palpable distended gallbladder (Courvoisier’s sign).

How fast growing is cholangiocarcinoma?

Several imaging studies showed multilocular tumors in the right hepatic lobe and in the pancreatic head, 4 and 7 cm in size, respectively. The hepatic tumor rapidly grew to 9 cm in 4 weeks, associated with a rapid increase in the serum carcinoembryonic antigen level from 125 ng/ml to 1,000 ng/ml.