Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with prolonged survival: a case report

BACKGROUND: Cholangiocarcinoma has poor prognosis and short term-survival. Here, we report the case of a patient with unusually prolonged survival. CASE PRESENTATION: Our patient was a 56-year-old Arab man with a 6-month history of obstructive jaundice. A computed tomography scan of his abdomen revealed a mass at the confluence of the hepatic ducts with suspected malignant strictures on endoscopy. A positive tissue diagnosis was achieved more than 18 months after commencement of his symptoms. He remained functional throughout this period despite recurrent episodes of cholangitis. CONCLUSIONS: Cholangiocarcinoma is a presumably fatal disease, especially because patients tend to present late with unresectable disease. Many patient-related and disease-related factors may alter survival.