Port site recurrence of unexpected gallbladder carcinoma after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Report of a case

Unexpected gallbladder carcinoma was identified in a 71-year-old woman afte r she underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for symptomatic choleli thiasis. A subsequent laparotomy for a resection of the liver bed and a dis section of the lymph nodes around the hepatoduodenal ligament was done. Two and a half years later, the patient developed subcutaneous metastasis at t he epigastric trocar site through which the gallbladder was removed. A thir d operation was thus performed, revealing no evidence of peritoneal dissemi nation, liver metastasis, or lymph node metastasis, and the abdominal wall mass was resected, The histological findings confirmed the diagnosis of met astatic carcinoma of the gallbladder, We recommend that when planning LC, t he possibility of malignancy should thus be kept in mind. However, if there is any sign which does not completely exclude malignancy, such as a contra cture or wall thickness of the gallbladder, LC should be performed by the a bdominal wall lifting method and using a protective bag for the removal of the gallbladder.