Difficulty in diagnosing complications of Caroli's disease.
Congenital cystic dilatation of the biliary tree (Caroli's disease) is a rare condition that usually presents with ascending cholangitis. This report demonstrates the difficulty of recognizing other complications of Caroli's disease antemortem. A 35-year-old man developed a subphrenic abscess and malignant transformation of the biliary tree; both were clinically undetected. Episodes of pain, pyrexia, or weight loss should be assessed carefully and the complications of Caroli's disease considered before attributing such symptoms to recurrent cholangitis.
D002759:Adenoma, Bile Duct / Q000150:complications; D000328:Adult; D001649:Bile Duct Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital*; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology*; D003560:Cysts / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital*; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000151:congenital; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013369:Subphrenic Abscess / Q000150:complications