• benign polyp
• cholecystectomy
• gallbladder cancer
• gallbladder polyps
• pseudopolyps

• Cholecystectomy
• Epidemiology
• Gallbladder cancer
• Incidental

The prevalence of incidental gallbladder cancer is low when performing cholecystectomy for benign disease. The performance of routine or selective histological examination of the gallbladder is still a subject for discussion. The aim of this study was to assess the cost‐effectiveness of these different approaches.

Four management strategies were evaluated using decision‐analytical modelling: no histology, current selective histology as practised in Sweden, macroscopic selective histology, and routine histology. Healthcare costs and life‐years were estimated for a lifetime perspective and combined into incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios (ICERs) to assess the additional cost of achieving an additional life‐year for each management strategy.

In the analysis of the four strategies, current selective histology was ruled out due to a higher ICER compared with macroscopic selective histology, which showed better health outcomes (extended dominance). Comparison of routine histology with macroscopic selective histology resulted in a gain of 12 life‐years and an incremental healthcare cost of approximately €1 000 000 in a cohort of 10 000 patients, yielding an estimated ICER of €76 508. When comparing a macroscopic selective strategy with no histological assessment, 50 life‐years would be saved and the ICER was estimated to be €20 708 in a cohort of 10 000 patients undergoing cholecystectomy.

A macroscopic selective strategy appears to be the most cost‐effective approach.

• Humans
• Pancreatic Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging
• Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology
• Positron-Emission Tomography/methods
• Gallbladder Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging
• Gallbladder Neoplasms/pathology

Routine histopathological examination after cholecystectomy is costly, but the prevalence of unsuspected gallbladder cancer (incidental GBC) is low. This study determined whether selective histopathological examination is safe.

A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library was performed. Pooled incidences of incidental and truly incidental GBC (GBC detected during histopathological examination without preoperative or intraoperative suspicion) were estimated using a random‐effects model. The clinical consequences of truly incidental GBC were assessed.

Seventy‐three studies (232 155 patients) were included. In low‐incidence countries, the pooled incidence was 0·32 (95 per cent c.i. 0·25 to 0·42) per cent for incidental GBC and 0·18 (0·10 to 0·35) per cent for truly incidental GBC. Subgroup analysis of studies in which surgeons systematically examined the gallbladder revealed a pooled incidence of 0·04 (0·01 to 0·14) per cent. In high‐incidence countries, corresponding pooled incidences were 0·83 (0·58 to 1·18), 0·44 (0·21 to 0·91) and 0·08 (0·02 to 0·39) per cent respectively. Clinical consequences were reported for 176 (39·3 per cent) of 448 patients with truly incidental GBC. Thirty‐three patients (18·8 per cent) underwent secondary surgery. Subgroup analysis showed that at least half of GBC not detected during the surgeon's systematic examination of the gallbladder was early stage (T1a status or below) and of no clinical consequence.

Selective histopathological examination of the gallbladder after initial macroscopic assessment by the surgeon seems safe and could reduce costs.

• additional resection
• cholecystectomy
• incidental gallbladder carcinoma
• long-term outcomes
• pT2 tumors
• pT3 tumor

• gallbladder
• incidence
• incidental carcinoma
• meta-analysis
• prognosis

• Cholecystectomy
• Gallbladder cancer
• Liver resection
• Recurrent gallbladder cancer
• Risk factors for gallbladder cancer

The current study was undertaken to examine the trend in gallbladder cancer (GBC) incidenceand survival in Korea.

GBC incidence data by histologic typewere obtained from the Korea Central Cancer Registry.Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated using the mid-year Korean population of2000 as a standard population, and a joinpoint regression model was used to calculate theannual percent change (APC) in incidence rates. Incidence by Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) summary stage and by geographical areas and female-to-male incidencerate ratios was also described.

The number of new GBC cases increased between 1999 and 2013. Nevertheless, the agestandardizedincidence rate decreased by 0.5% per year in men (p < 0.01), whereas theincidence rate in women did not change significantly over the same period (APC, –0.2;p=0.59). The most common histologic type was adenocarcinoma in both sexes. Based onthe SEER stage, the distant stage was the most frequent stage (41%), followed by theregional stage (37%). Ulsan (4.31/100,000 for men and 4.09/100,000 forwomen in 2009-2013) and Gyeongsangnam-do (4.15/100,000 for men and 3.54/100,000 for women)showed the highest GBC incidence, whereas the lowest incidence was observed in Seouland Gyeonggi-do. There were no significant sex differences in the incidence of GBC (femaleto-maleincidence rate ratio, 0.96).

The overall incidence of GBC in Korea did not change significantly over the 15-year period.Incidence for men and women was similar. However, geographical variation was found.

• Epidemiology
• Gallbladder neoplasms
• Geographic variation
• Incidence
• Survival

Although surgical resection is the only curative treatment for gallbladder cancer (GBC), concomitant peritoneal dissemination is considered far beyond the scope of resection. We report a long-term survivor with a residual GBC with multiple peritoneal disseminations who underwent an extended resection after effective chemotherapy.

A 59-year-old male underwent an open cholecystectomy for Mirizzi syndrome at a local hospital. Because of severe inflammation, the gallbladder was perforated during surgery, ending in a piecemeal resection. A pathological examination revealed GBC with positive margins, and the patient was referred to our hospital 1 month after surgery for further treatment. A multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) showed three hypoattenuated tumours: a tumour (3.9 cm) at the left medial segment corresponding to the gallbladder bed, a tumour (1.8 cm) around the hepatic flexure of the transverse colon, and a tumour (1.0 cm) at the stump of the cystic duct. Percutaneous needle biopsy was performed, which provided histologic evidence of adenocarcinoma. Thus, the patient had a rapidly progressive local relapse with limited peritoneal dissemination, labelled ycT3N0M1, stage IVB disease according to the UICC system. After the administration of 3 cycles of gemcitabine plus cisplatin combination chemotherapy, the size of all tumours and the CA19-9 level decreased significantly. Since the patient’s general condition and liver function reserve were satisfactory, we decided the initial unresectable scenario to perform surgical therapy. After portal vein embolization, right hepatectomy, resection of the extrahepatic bile duct, partial duodenectomy, and partial colectomy were performed. Operative time was 555 min, and intraoperative blood loss was 1654 mL. Pathologic diagnosis of residual gallbladder carcinoma with peritoneal dissemination was confirmed, and the surgical margins were tumour-free. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 29, with a Clavien-Dindo IIIa complication (abdominal wall abscess). Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil was administered during 1 year after surgery. The patient is doing well 6 years after the second surgery without evidence of disease.

Although specific clinical factors were associated with a favourable outcome in this patient, the present report suggests that multidisciplinary therapy may be a promising option in selected patients with distant metastatic GBC.

• Chemotherapy
• Conversion surgery
• Gallbladder carcinoma
• Long-term survival
• Peritoneal dissemination

Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is the most common malignancy of the biliary tract and the third most common gastrointestinal tract malignancy. This study examines a large cohort of GBC patients in the United States in an effort to define demographics, clinical, and pathologic features impacting clinical outcomes.

Demographic and clinical data on 22,343 GBC patients was abstracted from the SEER database (1973–2013).

GBC was presented most often among Caucasian (63.9%) females (70.7%) as poorly or moderately differentiated (42.5% and 38.2%) tumors, with lymph node involvement (88.2%). Surgery alone was the most common treatment modality for GBC patients (55.0%). Combination surgery and radiation (10.6%) achieved significantly longer survival rates compared to surgery alone (4.0 ± 0.2 versus 3.7 ± 0.1 years, p = 0.004). Overall mortality was 87.0% and cancer-specific mortality was 75.4%.

GBC is an uncommon malignancy that presents most often among females in their 8th decade of life, with over a third of cases presenting with distant metastasis. The incidence of GBC has doubled in the last decade concurrent with increases in cholecystectomy rates attributable in part to improved histopathological detection, as well as laparoscopic advances and enhanced endoscopic techniques. Surgical resection confers significant survival benefit in GBC patients.

• Incidental gallbladder carcinoma
• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
• Surgical treatment

• Cholecystectomy
• Gallbladder
• Malignancy
• Polypoid lesion of the gallbladder
• Polyps
• Size

• Cholesterol
• Gallbladder
• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
• Polyps

Gallbladder cancer is the most common tumor of the biliary tract and it is associated with a poor prognosis. Unexpected gallbladder cancer is a cancer incidentally discovered, as a surprise, at the histological examination after cholecystectomy for gallstones or other indications. It is a potentially curable disease, with an intermediate or good prognosis in most cases. An adequate surgical strategy is mandatory to improve the prognosis and an adjunctive radical resection may be required depending on the depth of invasion. If the cancer discovered after cholecystectomy is a pTis or a pT1a, a second surgical procedure is not mandatory. In the other cases (pT1b, pT2 and pT3 cancer) a re-resection (4b + 5 liver segmentectomy, lymphadenectomy and port-sites excision in some cases) is required to obtain a radical excision of the tumor and an accurate disease staging. The operative specimens of re-resection should be examined by the pathologist to find any “residual” tumor. The “residual disease” is the most important prognostic factor, significantly reducing median disease-free survival and disease-specific survival. The other factors include depth of parietal invasion, metastatic nodal disease, surgical margin status, cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis, histological differentiation, lymphatic, vascular and peri-neural invasion and overall TNM-stage.

• Gallbladder cancer
• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
• Liver resection
• Lymphadenectomy
• Incidental gallbladder cancer
• Unexpected gallbladder cancer

• cholecystectomy
• cholecystolithiasis
• incidental cancer of the gallbladder
• laparoscopic cholecystectomy
• radicality

In about 1% of cases, incidental gallbladder cancers (iGBC) are found after routine cholecystectomy. The aim of this study is to compare clinical features of iGBC with benign GB disease and to evaluate factors affecting recurrence and survival.

Between January 1998 and March 2014, 4,629 patients received cholecystectomy and 73 iGBC patients (1.6%) were identified. We compared clinical features of 4,556 benign GB disease patients with 73 iGBC patients, and evaluated operative outcomes and prognostic factors in 56 eligible patients.

The iGBC patients were older and concomitant diseases such as hypertension and anemia were more common than benign ones. And an age of more than 65 years was the only risk factor of iGBC. Adverse prognostic factors affecting patients' survival were age over 65, advanced histology, lymph node metastasis, and lymphovascular invasion on multivariate analysis. Age over 65 years, lymph node involvement, and lymphovascular invasion were identified as unfavorable factors affecting survival in subgroup analysis of extended cholecystectomy with bile duct resection (EC with BDR, n = 22).

Prior to routine cholecystectomy, incidental GB cancer should be suspected especially in elderly patients. And advanced age, lymph node metastasis, and lymphovascular invasion are important prognostic factors in EC with BDR cohorts.

• Cholecystectomy
• Gallbladder neoplasms
• Prognosis

Gallbladder cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the biliary tract. It is difficult to diagnose early due to the lack of special symptoms and physical signs. Most cases are diagnosed in advanced stages and the response to traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy is extremely limited, with modest impact on overall survival. Despite improvements in outcome associated with extended resections, selection of patients for such extensive surgery remains controversial. In this article, we analyze and discuss the key issues about the surgical management of gallbladder cancer, with the hope of a more comprehensive recognition of this malignancy.

• Gallbladder cancer
• Surgical treatment
• R0 resection
• Lymphadenectomy

• Ampullary carcinoma
• Bile duct carcinoma
• Biliary tract cancer
• Gallbladder carcinoma

AIM: To perform a systematic review of incidental or unsuspected gallbladder (GB) cancer diagnosed during or after cholecystectomy.

METHODS: Data in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were reviewed and 26 publications were included in the meta-analysis. The inclusion criterion for incidental GB cancer was GB cancer diagnosed during or after cholecystectomy that was not suspected at a preoperative stage. Pooled proportions of the incidence, distribution of T stage, and revisional surgery of incidental GB cancer were analyzed.

RESULTS: The final pooled population comprised 2145 patients with incidental GB cancers. Incidental GB cancers were found in 0.7% of cholecystectomies performed for benign gallbladder diseases on preoperative diagnosis (95%CI: 0.004-0.012). Nearly 50% of the incidental GB cancers were stage T2 with a pooled proportion of 47.0% (95%CI: 0.421-0.519). T1 and T3 GB cancers were found at a similar frequency, with pooled proportions of 23.0% (95%CI: 0.178-0.291) and 25.1% (95%CI: 0.195-0.317), respectively. The pooled proportion that completed revisional surgery for curative intent was 40.9% (95%CI: 0.329-0.494). The proportion of patients with unresectable disease upon revisional surgery was 23.0% (95%CI: 0.177-0.294).

CONCLUSION: A large proportion of incidental GB cancers were T2 and T3 lesions. Revisional surgery for radical cholecystectomy is warranted in T2 and more advanced cancers.

• Gallbladder cancer
• Laparoscopic surgery
• Cholecystectomy
• Revisional surgery
• Incidental diagnosis

• Cholecystectomy
• Gallbladder Neoplasms/diagnosis
• Gallbladder Neoplasms/epidemiology
• Gallbladder Neoplasms/pathology
• Gallbladder Neoplasms/surgery
• Humans
• Incidence
• Incidental Findings
• Neoplasm Staging
• Reoperation
• Risk Factors
• Treatment Outcome

AIM: To seek and analyze features suggestive of gallbladder cancer (GBC) on preoperative imaging and intraoperative findings in patients diagnosed as having incidental GBC (IGBC).

METHODS: The study was conducted on 79 patients of IGBC managed in our department over a 10-year period (2003-2012). Review of preoperative imaging and operative notes was done to ascertain any suspicion of malignancy-in-retrospect.

RESULTS: Of the 79 patients, Ultrasound abdomen showed diffuse thickening, not suspicious of malignancy in 5 patients, and diffuse suspicious thickening was seen in 4 patients. Focal thickening suspicious of malignancy was present in 24 patients. Preoperative computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging was done in 9 patients for suspicion of malignancy. In 5 patients, difficult Cholecystectomy was encountered due to dense/inflammatory adhesions. Intraoperative findings showed focal thickening of the gallbladder and a gallbladder mass in 9 and 17 patients respectively. On overall analysis, 37 patients had preoperative imaging or intraoperative findings suggestive of malignancy, which was either a missed GBC or an unsuspected/unexpected GBC. In 42 (53.2%) patients, there was no evidence suggestive of malignancy and was an unanticipated diagnosis.

CONCLUSION: Our study highlights a potential and not-so-rare pitfall of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. A greater awareness of this clinical entity along with a high index of suspicion and a low threshold for conversion to open procedure, especially in endemic areas may avert avoidable patient morbidity and mortality.

• Incidental gallbladder cancer
• Preoperative detection
• Imaging

• Gallbladder
• General Surgery
• Guideline
• Neoplasm

• Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic/methods
• Gallbladder Neoplasms/epidemiology
• Gallbladder Neoplasms/mortality
• Gallbladder Neoplasms/surgery
• Humans
• Incidental Findings
• Laparotomy
• Liver Neoplasms/secondary
• Liver Neoplasms/surgery
• Lymph Node Excision/methods
• Lymph Nodes/pathology
• Lymph Nodes/surgery
• Lymphatic Metastasis/pathology
• Survival Rate

• Hepatic resection
• Incidental gallbladder cancer
• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
• Lymphnodes
• Management
• Outcome

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Cholecystectomy
• Female
• Gallbladder Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging
• Gallbladder Neoplasms/surgery
• Humans
• Image Enhancement
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Multidetector Computed Tomography/methods
• Neoplasm Staging/methods
• Preoperative Care/methods
• Prognosis
• ROC Curve
• Reproducibility of Results
• Retrospective Studies
• Ultrasonography

• Gallbladder
• Gallbladder cancer
• Polypoid lesion
• Size
• Stage

Selective approach for sending cholecystectomy specimens for histopathology results in missing discrete pathologies such as premalignant benign lesions such as porcelain gallbladder, carcinoma-in-situ, and early carcinomas. To avoid such blunders therefore, every cholecystectomy specimen should be routinely examined histologically. Unfortunately, the practice of discarding gallbladder specimen is standard in most tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan including the primary investigators’ own institution. This study was conducted to assess the feasibility or otherwise of performing histopathology in every specimen of gallbladder.

This cohort study included 220 patients with gallstones for cholecystectomy. All cases with known secondaries from gallbladder, local invasion from other viscera, traumatic rupture of gallbladder, gross malignancy of gallbladder found during surgery was excluded from the study. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed in majority of cases except in those cases where anatomical distortion and dense adhesions prevented laparoscopy. All gallbladder specimens were sent for histopathology, irrespective of their gross appearance.

Over a period of two years, 220 patients with symptomatic gallstones were admitted for cholecystectomy. Most of the patients were females (88%). Ninety two per cent patients presented with upper abdominal pain of varying duration. All specimens were sent for histopathology. Two hundred and three of the specimens showed evidence chronic cholecystitis, 7 acute cholecystitis with mucocele, 3 acute cholecystitis with empyema and one chronic cholecystitis associated with poly. Six gallbladders (2.8%) showed adenocarcinoma of varying differentiation along with cholelithiasis.

The histopathological spectrum of gallbladder is extremely variable. Incidental diagnosis of carcinoma gall bladder is not rare; if the protocol of routine histopathology of all gallbladder specimens is not followed, subclinical malignancies would fail to be identified with disastrous results. We strongly recommend routine histopathology of all cholecystectomy specimens.

• Carcinoma
• Gall bladder
• Incidental

AIM: To evaluate the impact of incidental gallbladder cancer on surgical experience.

METHODS: Between 1998 and 2008 all cases of cholecystectomy at two divisions of general surgery, one university based and one at a public hospital, were retrospectively reviewed. Gallbladder pathology was diagnosed by history, physical examination, and laboratory and imaging studies [ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT)]. Patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC) were further analyzed for demographic data, and type of operation, surgical morbidity and mortality, histopathological classification, and survival. Incidental GBC was compared with suspected or preoperatively diagnosed GBC. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). The secondary endpoint was the difference in DFS between patients previously treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy and those who had oncological resection as first intervention.

RESULTS: Nineteen patients (11 women and eight men) were found to have GBC. The male to female ratio was 1:1.4 and the mean age was 68 years (range: 45-82 years). Preoperative diagnosis was made in 10 cases, and eight were diagnosed postoperatively. One was suspected intraoperatively and confirmed by frozen sections. The ratio between incidental and nonincidental cases was 9/19. The tumor node metastasis stage was: pTis (1), pT1a (2), pT1b (4), pT2 (6), pT3 (4), pT4 (2); five cases with stage Ia (T1 a-b); two with stage Ib (T2 N0); one with stage IIa (T3 N0); six with stage IIb (T1-T3 N1); two with stage III (T4 Nx Nx); and one with stage IV (Tx Nx Mx). Eighty-eight percent of the incidental cases were discovered at an early stage (≤ II). Preoperative diagnosis of the 19 patients with GBC was: GBC with liver invasion diagnosed by preoperative CT (nine cases), gallbladder abscess perforated into hepatic parenchyma and involving the transversal mesocolon and hepatic hilum (one case), porcelain gallbladder (one case), gallbladder adenoma (one case), and chronic cholelithiasis (eight cases). Every case, except one, with a T1b or more advanced invasion underwent IVb + V wedge liver resection and pericholedochic/hepatoduodenal lymphadenectomy. One patient with stage T1b GBC refused further surgery. Cases with Tis and T1a involvement were treated with cholecystectomy alone. One incidental case was diagnosed by intraoperative frozen section and treated with cholecystectomy alone. Six of the nine patients with incidental diagnosis reached 5-year DFS. One patient reached 38 mo survival despite a port-site recurrence 2 years after original surgery. Cases with non incidental diagnosis were more locally advanced and only two patients experienced 5-year DFS.

CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy does not affect survival if implemented properly. Reoperation should have two objectives: R0 resection and clearance of the lymph nodes.

• Incidental gallbladder cancer
• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
• Lymph nodes
• Hepatic resection
• Management
• Outcome