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. 2020 Jun 30;17(9):557–588. doi: 10.1038/s41575-020-0310-z

Fig. 1. Anatomical classification of cholangiocarcinoma.

Fig. 1

On the basis of the anatomical site of origin, cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is classified into intrahepatic CCA (iCCA), perihilar CCA (pCCA) and distal CCA (dCCA). iCCA is defined as a malignancy located in the periphery of the second-order bile ducts, pCCA arises in the right and/or left hepatic duct and/or at their junction, and dCCA involves the common bile duct (that is, the choledochus). Grossly, CCA can show three main patterns of growth: mass-forming, periductal-infiltrating, and intraductal-growing. Mass-forming CCA is a mass lesion in the hepatic parenchyma. Periductal-infiltrating iCCA grows inside the duct wall and spreads longitudinally along the wall. Intraductal-growing CCA is a polypoid or papillary tumour growing towards the duct lumen.