[Caroli's disease]

Abstract

Caroli's disease is a rare condition characterized by congenital polycystic dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts. The most frequent clinical presentation of a simple type (Caroli's disease) is recurrent cholangitis, gallstone with pain, obstructive jaundice and episodes of pancreatitis in childhood and early adulthood. A more frequent type combined with congenital hepatic fibrosis is usually manifested with bleeding from esophageal varices consequential to portal hypertension. Treatment options, both conservative and surgical, are relatively limited and depend on the clinical presentation, localization of cysts in the liver, and stage of the disease. A 20-year-old man with Caroli's disease manifested with cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis with recurrent pancreatitis at the age of 16 is presented. The diagnosis was confirmed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. Treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid was initiated and after two years of follow-up the disease is stable.