title: Surgical management and long-term follow-up of patients with choledochal cysts.
abstract: The medical records of 46 patients treated for choledochal cysts at Kyushu University from 1965 to 1990 were reviewed, and long-term follow-up results were evaluated based on the type of cyst and on the choice of surgical procedure. Of 46 patients, 41 (89%) were female and 5 (11%) were male, with a mean age of 24 years at the time of the initial operation. Seventy-eight percent of patients presented with an abdominal pain, 43% with jaundice, and 33% with an abdominal mass. Only seven patients (15%) presented with the classic triad. According to the Todani classification system, 26 patients (57%) had type I cysts, 2 (4%) had type II, and 18 (39%) had type IV. Four patients (9%) had biliary tract carcinoma. At the time of the initial operation, the major associated diseases were cholangitis in 15% and choledocholithiasis in 26% of cases. In 24 patients who had undergone previous cyst enterostomy, cholangitis developed in 88%, choledocholithiasis in 25%, and hepatolithiasis in 33% of patients, indicating a high complication rate after cyst enterostomy. Seventy percent of these patients needed reoperation. In contrast, cyst excision with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy gave excellent long-term results. Thus, cyst excision with hepaticojejunostomy is the definitive treatment of choice for type I and IV choledochal cysts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery 1, Kyushu University Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chijiiwa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015529:Choledochal Cyst / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D013997:Time Factors