Intrahepatic bile duct cysts

: Because of the risk of carcinoma, choledochal cysts always should be completely removed. If the cyst is extrahepatic, this should not offer any problem. Radical excision of an intrahepatic cyst, however, can present as a major problem and is in fact not always achievable. The anatomical situation (involvement of both lobes of the liver) or the general condition of a patient can force us to limit the surgical procedure. We report our experience with 5 cases of intrahepatic choledochal cyst, emphasizing the difficulties of achieving the before mentioned therapeutic goal. Details on today's pathogenetic theories and classification of choledochal cysts are reported from the literature.