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Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Cancer, Education, Diagnostic procedure, Ultrasound, MR, CT, Oncology, Biliary Tract / Gallbladder, Abdomen
Authors:
A. M. Calin, C. Caraiani, R. Badea; Cluj Napoca/RO
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2016/C-0903
Background
Gallbladder carcinoma is the most common type of biliary cancer,
but it is usually asymptomatic and discovered when it is already untreatable.
Its risk factors are female sex,
postmenopausal state,
cigarette smoking,
as well as different conditions,
such as cholelithiasis,
congenital and pathological aspects of the biliary tree and gallbladder.
Early-stage gallbladder cancer is usually diagnosed incidentally and relies on symptoms related to coexistent cholecystitis or cholelithiasis.
The majority of patients present with advanced disease and symptoms like chronic abdominal pain,
anorexia or weight loss. Jaundice can also occur in advanced cases and elevated levels of alfa-fetoprotein or carcinoembryonic antigen may indicate the presence of gallbladder carcinoma [1,
4,
6].
Gallbladder cancer can occur as a mass occupying or replacing the gallbladder,
a focal or diffuse mural thickening or as an intraluminal polyp.
Most of the cases arise in the gallbladder fundus (60%) and fewer in the body (30%) or neck (10%).
[1]