Liver & intrahepatic bile ducts
Developmental anomalies / cysts
Choledochal cyst
Author: Komal Arora, M.D.
Last author update: 1 April 2012
Last staff update: 4 August 2020
Copyright: 2002-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Liver choledochal cyst[TI] free full text[sb]
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Diagrams / tables | Clinical images | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) descriptionCite this page: Arora K. Choledochal cyst. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/livercholedochalcyst.html. Accessed April 25th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Cystic dilatations of the biliary tree; can involve the extrahepatic biliary radicles, the intrahepatic biliary radicles or both
- Classified into 5 types (Am J Surg 1977;134:263)
- Classically presents with pain, right upper quadrant mass and jaundice, particularly in children
- Cholangitis symptoms may predominate in adults
- Usually women
- 14% develop adenocarcinoma with increasing age
Diagrams / tables
Images hosted on other servers:
Choledochal cyst classification
Clinical images
Images hosted on other servers:
Intraoperative view of choledochal cyst
Gross description
- Often huge cysts
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Thick fibrous wall, often inflamed
- Discontinuous columnar epithelium; variable squamous metaplasia (Can J Surg 2009;52:434)
