Endocrine cells in hepatobiliary cystadenomas and cystadenocarcinomas

We investigated the distribution of endocrine cells in hepatobiliary cystadenoma (n=5, two associated with mesenchymal stroma) and cystadenocarcinoma (n=3) immunohistochemically. In normal livers (n=20) and livers affected by hepatolithiasis (n=15) used as controls, endocrine cells revealed by chromogranin immunostaining were located exclusively in normal or proliferating intrahepatic peribiliary glands. In the eight cases of hepatobiliary cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma, endocrine cells were present in four cases (50%) (1 cystadenoma, 1 cystadenoma with mesenchymal stroma, and 2 cystadenocarcinomas). Endocrine cells tended to be located beneath and among the columnar epithelial cells. Intrahepatic peribiliary glands were located in the vicinity of cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma in six (75%) of the eight cases, and they frequently showed cystic dilatation and contained endocrine cells. Intrahepatic peribiliary glands were located in the vicinity of the endocrine cells in all cystadenomas and cystadenocarcinomas that were positive for endocrine cells. These data show that about 50% of hepatobiliary cystadenomas and cystadenocarcinomas contain endocrine cells and suggest that hepatobiliary cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma may originate from intrahepatic peribiliary glands.