A Case Report of Successful Right Hepatectomy of Caroli's Disease and Literature Review of Operated Cases in Japan

A 25-year-old woman with complaints of sever abdominal pain and a temperature of 40°C was admitted to Hiroshima City Hospital, where an emergency laparotomy was performed. The surgical intervention alleviated the symptoms. T-tube drainage was performed and a diagnosis of Caroli's disease was made. Right hepatectomy was performed on the 47th day after the T-tube drainage. She has had no complaints whatsoever during the two years following the hepatectomy. In reviewing the 88 cases of Caroli's disease reported in the Japanese literature from 1983 to 1989, surgery was performed in 11 cases including ours. Both the right and left hepatic ducts were dilated in our case with saccular dilatation being more marked on the right side than on the left side. This is the first report of hepatectomy in Japan performed for Caroli's disease with dilatation of both hepatic ducts.