Institute for Digestive Research, Digestive Disease Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
ABSTRACT
Klatskin tumors are difficult to diagnosis in the early stages. Therefore early detection is important for curative treatment and prognosis of these tumors. We report a case of a 70-year-old female who was diagnosed with a benign stricture of the common bile duct during a routine health examination at an outside hospital. She underwent dilation of the stricture but of follow up examination the stricture worsened and she was referred to our center. On admission no malignance was suspected on initial abdominal ultrasound, CT, MRCP, ERCP and brush cytology. On follow up CT and MRI at our center, Klatskin tumor was suspected and adenocarcinoma was confirmed on ERCP and IDUS with brush cytology and forcep biopsy. Even if malignancy is not suspected on radiologic and histologic examination it is prudent to perform close follow up of benign biliary strictures.