A Case of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma that Developed 12 Years after Sustained Virological Response was Achieved to Interferon Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C

Abstract

An 83-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C received interferon therapy, and a sustained virological response (SVR) was achieved 12 years earlier. Three years later, he developed transverse colon cancer and laparoscopic transverse colectomy was performed. However, the serum concentration of CA19-9 was elevated, and positron emission tomography (PET) showed a tumor showing abnormal uptake of 18F-deoxyglucose in the lateral segment of the liver; therefore, the patient was referred to our hospital. The tumor measured 40 mm in diameter and showed peripheral enhancement in the late phase of contrast-enhanced CT. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed stenosis of the left hepatic duct. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed as having intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) with left bile duct invasion, rather than hepatic metastasis from colon cancer, and left hepatectomy was performed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations revealed the tumor as a moderately differentiated ICC. We report a case of ICC that developed 12 years after the patient achieved SVR to interferon therapy administered to treat chronic hepatitis C.