We report the case of a 45-year-old woman who underwent laparotomy for obstructive jaundice due to an uncommon cystic tumor located in the porta hepatis. Histology of the resected specimen disclosed a cystadenoma of the common hepatic duct. A review of 20 reported cases shows that the preoperative diagnosis is uncommon; wide resection appears to be the treatment of choice since these lesions are susceptible of local recurrence and malignant change.