Papillomatosis of intra- and extrahepatic biliary tree: Successful treatment with liver transplantation

Abstract

Approximately 60 cases of biliary papillomatosis have been reported in the world literature, while only 6 cases have been reported to be treated with liver transplantation. This rare disease, which is characterized by relapsing episodes of obstructive jaundice and cholangitis that lead to secondary cirrhosis and death from sepsis or liver failure, it is also considered premalignant because of its frequent malignant transformation (25-50%). We present a case of a 43-year-old white man with papillomatosis of intra- and extrahepatic biliary tree who sought care for repeated episodes of obstructive jaundice and cholangitis. The diagnosis was suspected after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and confirmed by liver and common bile duct biopsies. The patient underwent orthotopic liver transplantation with Roux-en-Y hepatico-jejunostomy to treat end-stage liver cirrhosis. Fifteen months' follow-up revealed a patient with normal graft function and with no clinically or laboratory findings of disease recurrence or cancer development.