page_title: Cholangiocarcinoma
section_title: Diagnosis
hierarchical_section_title: Cholangiocarcinoma / Diagnosis
caption_attribution_description: English: High magnification micrograph of cholangiocarcinoma. H&amp;E stain. Histologically, this is a cholangiocarcinoma as (1) atypical bile duct-like cells (left of image) extend from the tumour in an interlobular septum (the normal anatomical location of bile ducts), and (2) the tumour has the abundant desmoplastic stroma often seen in cholangiocarcinomas. A portal triad (upper-left of image) has a histologically normal bile duct. Related image Low mag. Intermed. mag. High mag. Very high mag.
context_page_description: Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, is a type of cancer that forms in the bile ducts. Symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma may include abdominal pain, yellowish skin, weight loss, generalized itching, and fever. Light colored stool or dark urine may also occur. Other biliary tract cancers include gallbladder cancer and cancer of the ampulla of Vater.
  Risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma include primary sclerosing cholangitis, ulcerative colitis, cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, infection with certain liver flukes, and some congenital liver malformations. However, most people have no identifiable risk factors. The diagnosis is suspected based on a combination of blood tests, medical imaging, endoscopy, and sometimes surgical exploration. The disease is confirmed by examination of cells from the tumor under a microscope. It is typically an adenocarcinoma.
  Cholangiocarcinoma is typically incurable at diagnosis. In these cases palliative treatments may include surgical resection, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and stenting procedures.
caption: Micrograph of an intrahepatic, i.e. in the liver, cholangiocarcinoma (right of image); benign hepatocytes are seen (left of image).  Histologically, this is a cholangiocarcinoma as (1) atypical bile duct-like cells (left of image) extend from the tumor in an interlobular septum (the normal anatomical location of bile ducts), and (2) the tumor has the abundant desmoplastic stroma often seen in cholangiocarcinomas.  A portal triad (upper-left of image) has a histologically normal bile duct. H&E stain.
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