Keywords:
Abdomen, Oncology, Ultrasound, Sampling, Cirrhosis, Metastases, Neoplasia
Authors:
W. Y. T. Wong, M. Y. Cheung, V. Engelbrecht, S. Lim
DOI:
10.26044/ranzcr2022/R-0070
Purpose
We previously analysed 22 cases of patients who underwent abdominal paracentesis and suggested that thickened gallbladder wall thickness is associated with non-malignant aetiology [1].
This is a retrospective review seeking to confirm the findings of the relationship between gallbladder wall thickness and the aetiology of ascites. Ultrasound abdomen and paracentesis are routinely suggested to further evaluate the aetiology of ascites, however due to the low sensitivity of cytology results [2,3], the underlying pathology is often not confidently identified. We hypothesise that in combination with non-invasive ultrasound findings, in particular gallbladder thickness, we can increase the sensitivity in detecting malignancy.