Chirurgia italiana
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Comparative Study
Diagnostic and surgical features of Klatskin tumors.
Klatskin tumors are rare and their prognosis is poor. Long term survival can be expected only after a surgical resection, the treatment of choice. The aim of this study is to report our single centre experience and, by literature analysis, to define the role of surgery in the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. ⋯ Aggressive surgical treatment of Klatskin tumors can improve patients' survival. Careful preoperative management has to be carried out by a multidisciplinary approach including surgeons, gastroenterologists, radiologists and pathologists. Hepatic resection involving the caudate lobe is often performed in order to obtain microscopic tumor-free margins and curative resection (R0). Biliary drainage and treatment of cholangitis is mandatory before surgery in order to improve surgical outcome. Surgical treatment is characterized by high technical difficulties and better results can be achieved by hepatobiliary surgical teams.