Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in Taiwan

We report our experience of the surgical treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in Taiwanese patients. A total of 162 patients with histologically proven ICC were treated of whom 106 (65.4%) had associated hepatolithiasis. Patients with hepatolithiasis were in earlier stages than those without hepatolithiasis. Two-thirds of the patients with hepatolithiasis presented with acute cholangitis, and two-thirds of those without hepatolithiasis presented with hepatomegaly. The rate of hepatic resection was 29.6% (48 of 162), and these rates were 31.1% and 26.8% for the patients with and without hepatolithiasis, respectively. Ninety-three percent of the patients with hepatolithiasis underwent common bile duct exploration, compared with 18% of those without hepatolithiasis. The surgical mortality rates were 3.7% (6/ 162), for all patients, and 3.8% and 3.6% for patients with and without hepatolithiasis, respectively. The morbidity rate was much higher in the patients with hepatolithiasis (37.7% vs 16.1%). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 35.5%, 20.5%, and 16.5% in the patients with hepatolithiasis and 27.2%, 8.8%, and 7.8% in those without hepatolithiasis. Concomitant hepatolithiasis prevented precise diagnosis preoperatively and precipitated biliary sepsis, which affected resectability and increased postoperative morbidity. Hepatolithiasis per se did not influence long-term survival.