Tuberculosis of the Common Bile Duct

The intrahepatic biliary tree can occasionally be infected by Mycobacteriurn tuberculosis, but tuberculosis of the common bile duct has not previously been reported. A 38-year-old man with obstructive jaundice, who was originally thought to have cholangiocarcinoma associated with opisthorchiasis (a common combination in Thailand), was finally proved to have tuberculosis of the common bile duct with adjacent tuberculous lymphadenitis. Following T-tube drainage and antitubercular therapy, he made a complete recovery. The importance of a tissue diagnosis in all cases of obstructive jaundice is emphasized to avoid missing rare but curable diseases.