Successful surgical resection of ruptured cholangiolocellular carcinoma: A rare case of a primary hepatic tumor

Spontaneous rupture is one of the most fatal complications of hepatic tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma. In fact, many studies have shown that the in-hospital and 30-d mortality rates are as high as 25%-100%. Cholangiolocellular carcinoma (CoCC) is a rare primary hepatic tumor, usually small in size, that is thought to originate from the ductules and/or canals of Hering. Here, we present a case of spontaneous rupture of a CoCC that was successfully resected by radical surgery. Although CoCC is a rare primary hepatic tumor, it demonstrates certain specific clinical features, including a better prognosis than for other primary liver cancers, and thus should be distinguished from those other cancers. Moreover, CoCC can appear as a ruptured huge tumor, and when it does, radical hepatectomy can be an effective measure to achieve both absolute hemostasis and curability of tumor.