Etiological and clinicopathologic characteristics of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in young patients.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and clinicopathologic characteristics of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in young patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in ICC patients referred to the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital in Shanghai, China. Among 317 consecutively enrolled patients, 40 patients were aged risk factors and clinicopathologic characteristics of these patients (group I n = 40) with those aged > 40 years (group II n = 277).

RESULTS:

Group I had distinct features compared with group II, including a low frequency of hepatolithiasis (P = 0.000); a high positive rate of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (P = 0.000) and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated cirrhosis (P = 0.038); a high frequency of alpha-fetoprotein (> 400 microg/L) (P = 0.011); a low frequency of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (> 37 U/mL) (P = 0.017); and a high frequency of liver histological inflammation (P = 0.002). Although there was no significant difference between the two groups in regards to hepatic schistosomiasis, alcohol-associated cirrhosis and cirrhosis due to other causes (P > 0.05), they only occurred in the elderly group.

CONCLUSION:

The risk factors are significantly different between young and elderly ICC patients. HBV and HBV-associated cirrhosis are the most important risk factors for young ICC patients.