Villous adenoma of the bile ducts: A case report and a review of the reported cases in Korea

Villous adenomas are benign epithelial lesions with malignant potential whi ch can occur at any site in the gastrointestinal tract. They are usually en countered in the rectum and colon, less frequently in the small bowel and v ery rarely in the biliary trees. Nine cases of bile duct villous adenomas h ave been reported in the literature. However, Li cases of bile duct villous adenomas have been reported in the Korean literature. Recently, we experie nced a case of villous adenoma in the common hepatic duct in a 77-year-old man presenting with obstructive jaundice in which preoperative histologic d iagnosis of villous adenoma played a critical role in managing this patient ; Herein, we present a case report of bile duct villous adenoma and a revie w of the reported cases in Korea to help define and manage this rare diseas e entity in the bile ducts. In addition confusing nomenclature of bile duct adenomas is discussed.