[Neuroma of the common bile duct: a rare cause of jaundice]

We report a case of neuroma of the main bile duct arising twenty years after cholecystectomy. The patient, a 82-year-old woman, was admitted for jaundice. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography showed a regular stenosis of the main bile duct. Histologic examination demonstrated neuroma. Based on the analysis of this and 15 other previously published cases, the following features of bile duct neuroma were outlined: a) variable interval between cholecystectomy and the onset of jaundice (6 months to 35 years); b) the generally complicated postoperative course, c) the various localizations on the biliary tree (cystic, main bile duct, intrahepatic bile duct) and, d) the circumstances of onset.