IMAGING OF GALLBLADDER CARCINOMA

Although carcinoma of the gallbladder has a low overall prevalence, it is the most common malignant tumor of the biliary tract. Retrospectiv ely, 59 cases of histologically proved gallbladder carcinoma were revi ewed. The series consisted of 42 women and 17 men, ranging in age from 35 to 86 years. Clinical manifestations of gallbladder carcinoma incl ude right upper quadrant pain, anorexia, weight loss, and jaundice. Ra diologic findings included focal or diffuse thickening of the gallblad der wall (49%), a mass in the gallbladder fossa (37%), and an intralum inal mass (14%). Associated findings were cholelithiasis (64%), biliar y duct dilatation (38%), invasion of the adjacent structures (67%), di stant metastases other than those of the liver (3%), and porcelain gal lbladder (4%). The histologic diagnoses were adenocarcinoma (90%) and squamous cell carcinoma (10%). Differential diagnoses include all cond itions in which the gallbladder wall appears thickened. A general awar eness of the radiologic features of gallbladder carcinoma enhances pre operative diagnoses.