Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the biliary tract: A precursor lesion to cholangiocarcinoma.

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the biliary tract (IPMN-B) is an increasingly recognized pathologic entity characterized by intraluminal papillary masses and increased mucin secretion, resulting in obstruction and dilation of the biliary tree. These lesions, rarely seen in clinical practice in the United States, are now considered to be important precursors for the development of cholangiocarcinoma. Therefore, it is critical that radiologists become familiar with the radiographic manifestations of IPMN-B in order to diagnosis these lesions at a time when surgical resection may be curative.