Successful treatment of Caroli's disease by hepatic resection. Report of six patients.

Caroli's disease is a congenital disease of cystic or saccular dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts. There are two disease entities: a simple type and a periportal fibrosis type. Frequent complications with the simple type are recurrent cholangitis, liver abscess, intraductal lithiasis, abdominal pain, and fever that often lead to fatal sepsis. Development of portal hypertension and esophageal varices is usually a final feature of the periportal fibrosis type. Malignancies are also possible complications with Caroli's disease. During the recent 13 years, the author had experiences with eight patients with Caroli's disease of the simple type; six of these eight underwent hepatic resection: right lobectomy in two, left lobectomy in three, and left lateral segmentectomy in one. Other two patients died of sepsis and cholangiocellular carcinoma, respectively. All six patients with hepatic resections were relieved from the disabling symptoms after surgery and have had no recurrent hepatobiliary problems for 3 months to 13 years. Hepatic resection may be indicated for more patients than previously assumed in the treatment of Caroli's disease of the simple type.