Caroli's disease

(Jacques Caroli, born 1902, French physician), condition comprising multiple congenital liver cysts which communicate with the bile ducts and overlaps with choledochal cyst type IV. Clinical findings include hepatomegaly, a right upper quadrant mass, jaundice and symptoms related to infection, bile stasis and calculi.

Ultrasound demonstrates multiple spherical anechoic cystic structures throughout the liver. Complications such as cyst haemorrhage and infection may result in low-level echoes within the cysts and debrisfluid levels. Similar findings are evident on CT and MRI. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy shows that these cysts communicate with the bile ducts. In the parenchymal phase they appear as photopenic defects, which subsequently 'fill in' and persist after the parenchymal phase has passed.

Complications such as calculi and malignant change may be detected by sonography but require more detailed imaging (PTC, ERCP) for complete evaluation. See Carolis disease, choledochal cyst and choledochal cyst

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