Tubulovillous adenoma in the common bile duct causing obstructive jaundice

Villous adenomas are benign epithelial lesions with a malignant potential which can occur at any site in the gastrointestinal tract, usually in the rectum and colon, less frequently in the small bowel and very rarely in the biliary tract (1,2,3). Villous adenomas of the extrahepatic bile ducts are exceptional and only a few cases have been reported(4). Common bile duct (CBD) adenomas often present in a fashion similar to their malignant counterparts (5), and adenocarcinoma arising from a villous adenoma of the ampullary biliary epithelium is also extremely rare (6). We present here a tubulovillous adenoma, arising in the common bile duct, as a cause of obstructive jaundice, and discuss the characteristics of these lesions. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2009, 72, 450-454).