2 CASES OF EARLY GALLBLADDER CANCER INCIDENTALLY DISCOVERED BY LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY

In case 1, a 68-year-old woman with asymptomatic gallstones underwent taparoscopic cholecystectomy after radical mastectomy for boast cancer . Histological examination revealed gallbladder carcinoma with involve ment confined to the mucosa and positive margin at the cystic duct. We resected the remnant cystic duct with open laparotomy. In case 2, a 6 3-year-old woman with a diagnosis of early rectal cancer underwent lap aroscopic cholecystectomy for silent gallstones following transanal re section of the rectal tumor. Pathologic analysis illustrated a gallbla dder carcinoma with wide mucosal spread and minimal invasion into the subserosal layer. No additional treatment was warranted. As laparoscop ic cholecystectomy has become widely used, an increase in the number o f resected cases of early gallbladder cancer can be expected, especial ly among asymptomatic gallstone patients. Additional treatment should be determined through meticulous microscopic investigation of the spec imen, with special attention to the depth of invasion and the range of mucosal spread.