Roentgenologic appearance of a thorotrast-induced small cholangiocarcinoma in a case of thorotrastosis. An autopsy case of massive gastrointestinal bleeding of esophageal varices.

A small cholangiocarcinoma was detected at autopsy in a patient with thorotrastosis who died from the rupture of esophageal varices at the esophagogastric junction. Prior to the advent of recent diagnostic imaging technique, a correct antemortem diagnosis could only be obtained from tumor markers. However, the tendency for the opacity of the liver to decrease slowly with time and develop uneven trabeculation suggests that small tumors may be difficult to detect against such a non-homogeneous background.