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Table 1 Overview of various classifications [15]

From: Primary carcinoma of the cystic duct: a case report and review of classifications

 

Classification

Current status

Farrar [1] (1951)

(i) Growth restricted to the cystic duct

(ii) Absence of neoplastic process in the GB, hepatic, or CBD

(iii) Histological evidence of carcinoma

-1st classification system but unsuitable in current scenario where advanced cases are being detected invading surrounding structures.

-No mention about lymph node metastasis

Ozden et al. [2] (2003)

working definition of carcinoma of cystic duct is a GB tumor whose centre is located in the cystic duct (the geometric centre of the tumor)

-Practical to determine geometric centre during grossing however still may be difficult to label as cystic duct carcinoma if it had been unequal growth in different directions.

-It was based on assumption that the tumor grows equally in all directions, which may not hold true for all cases.

Kim et al. [3] (2007)

(i) Type I-carcinoma confined within the cystic duct

(ii) Type II-carcinoma extended to the GB neck and infundibulum or bile duct of cystic duct side without obstructive jaundice

(iii) Type III-carcinoma extended up to the GB body or bile duct on the contralateral side of cystic duct opening which then causes obstructive jaundice

[centre located in the cystic duct]

-Based on the extent of tumor infiltration and such classification defines treatment plan and improves resectability.

Yokoyama et al. [4] (2008)

A gallbladder tumor with centre of which is located in the cystic duct:

(i) hepatic hilum type (HH)-tumor mainly invades the hepatic hilum

(ii) cystic confluence type (CC)-tumor mainly involves the confluence of the cystic duct

-HH type presentation, behaviour and prognosis takes on the picture of gallbladder carcinoma, whereas CC type takes on the picture of bile duct carcinoma.

-This classification may be helpful for making a diagnosis and planning the surgical procedure for individual cystic duct carcinoma patients.

Nakata et al. [5] (2009)

Based on extent of spread:

Type I-the tumor was located wholly within the cystic duct

Type II-the tumor extended to the gallbladder

Type III-the tumor extended to the common hepatic duct or the common bile duct (including extension into the lumen and external invasion to the bile duct wall)

Type IV-the tumor extended to both the gallbladder and the bile duct

-A high frequency of perineural infiltration and a low frequency of hepatic infiltration result in cystic duct carcinoma being a distinct entity from gallbladder carcinoma and better prognosis than gallbladder cancer and extra hepatic bile duct cancer.