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Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Calcifications / Calculi, Metastases, Cancer, Staging, Imaging sequences, Comparative studies, Ultrasound, CT, MR, Oncology, Biliary Tract / Gallbladder, Abdomen
Authors:
K. Bansal, A. Arora, B. Sureka, C. Bihari, S. K. Sarin; New Delhi/IN
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2015/C-1785
Conclusion
Primary carcinoma of the gallbladder is a highly aggressive malignancy usually diagnosed at a late stage in the majority of affected patients.
Early-stage gallbladder carcinoma is most commonly an incidental finding in patients who have undergone cholecystectomy for inflammatory disease of the gallbladder.
The radiologic findings in early-stage cancers are subtle and may mimic those of acute or chronic cholecystitis.
The radiologic findings in advanced tumors reflect its behavior.
Direct extension to the liver and biliary tree,
biliary obstruction,
lymph node metastases,
and hematogenous metastases are characteristic findings of advanced cancers.
Papillary adenocarcinoma has the best prognosis of the histologic types and typically manifests as an intraluminal polypoid mass.
Knowledge of the varied appearances of gallbladder carcinoma at cross-sectional imaging,
particularly US and CT,
and understanding its pathways of spread and staging criteria can facilitate diagnosis and enable more accurate staging for triage to appropriate treatment regimens.