Bile duct carcinoma mimicking chronic liver disease.

In a case of cholangiocarcinoma involving the bifurcation of the common duct, the association with striking intermittence of jaundice and with signs of chronic liver disease presented a diagnostic enigma. Disappearance of jaundice does not rule out the diagnosis of bifurcation tumors and may be misleading. Adequate demonstration of the biliary tree, best achieved with percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography, is essential for early diagnosis of this entity.