Klatskin tumor

A Klatskin tumor, also known as Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma, is a cholangiocarcinoma (cancer of the biliary tree) occurring at the confluence of the right and left hepatic bile ducts.

Treatment and prognosis

Because of their location these tumors present late and therefore are usually not resectable at the time of presentation. Complete resection of the tumor offers hope of long term survival and of late there has been renewed interest in liver transplantation from deceased donors along with adjuvant therapy. Prognosis remains poor today.

References

• VIDEO - Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma, Klatskin Tumor presented by Fumito Ito, MD, PhD at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. (2007)
• KLATSKIN G (1965). "Adenocarcinoma of the hepatic duct at its bifurcation within the porta hepatis. An unusual tumor with distinctive clinical and pathological features". Am. J. Med. 38: 241–56. doi:10.1016/0002-9343(65)90178-6. PMID 14256720. 
• PatientPlus Article

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