Lymphatic spread differs according to tumor location in extrahepatic bile duct cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Identification of nodal involvement according to primary tumor location in extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma may guide surgical therapy.


METHODS
Pathologic data of 81 patients who underwent curative operation for bile duct carcinoma were studied to clarify the differences in lymphatic spread from distal bile duct carcinoma, middle bile duct carcinoma, and proximal bile duct carcinoma.


RESULTS
Lymph node metastases were present in 25 of 41 patients (61%) with distal bile duct carcinoma, 9 of 19 (47%) with middle bile duct carcinoma, and 11 of 21 (52%) with proximal bile duct carcinoma. The number of positive nodes per node-positive patient was greater in patients with middle bile duct carcinoma than in those with distal- or proximal bile duct carcinoma (mean 5.33 vs. 3.56 or 2.64, p < 0.05). Lymph nodes in the hepatoduodenal ligament were most frequently involved regardless of the primary tumor location. The frequency of distal- and middle bile duct carcinoma patients with metastasis to the superior mesenteric or para-aortic nodes was significantly higher than that of proximal bile duct carcinoma patients (p < 0.05 and p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Patterns of lymphatic spread were different according to primary tumor location in bile duct carcinoma. Metastatic nodes were spread widely, from the hepatoduodenal ligament or posterior pancreaticoduodenal region to the nodes around the superior mesenteric artery and abdominal aorta, in distal- and middle bile duct carcinoma.
Yoshida
Takanori
T
Department of Surgery I, Oita Medical University Hasama, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
Matsumoto
Toshifumi
T
Sasaki
Atsushi
A
Morii
Yuji
Y
Shibata
Kohei
K
Ishio
Tetsuya
T
Kitano
Seigo
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D017734:Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012720:Severity of Illness Index