RADIOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN BILE-DUCT CARCINOMA

Radiological findings in 58 cases of pathologically proven bile duct c arcinoma were analysed retrospectively. 11 patients had peripheral int rahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, 30 either hepatic duct or choledochal ca rcinoma and 17 carcinoma of the papilla of Vater. The tumour was local abdominally in 41 and spread abdominally in 17 cases. All cases but o ne were examined by US, 27 by CT, 19 by PTC, 28 by ERCP and 11 by angi ography. US showed bile duct obstruction in all the cases in which it was present and CT in 94 %. US showed the primary tumour in 63 % and C T in 44 %, while the figures for showing abdominal spread were 56 and 17 % respectively. No tumour mass was found at US in 28 % of cases or at CT in 52 %. ERCP failed in 3 out of 28 cases, showed a tumour in 24 (86 %) and showed ambiguous nar-rowing of the bile duct in one. PTC s howed obstruction or narrowing of the bile duct caused by a tumour in all cases, while angiography detected all the intrahepatic cholangioca rcinomas but was abnormal in only 2 out of 6 cases of extrahepatic bil e duct carcinoma.