Thickening of the gallbladder wall is a relatively frequent finding on diagnostic imaging. Such thickening is also a common but nonspecific finding in many patients with intrinsic gallbladder disease and extracholecystic conditions. Wall thickening may be diagnostically problematic, occurring (as it does) in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients and in those with and without indications for cholecystectomy. An important first step is to distinguish between the diffuse and focal forms of thickening. Subsequently, identification of ancillary imaging findings and the directed use of additional imaging modalities allow accurate diagnosis. This is of clinical importance. Misinterpretation of the cause of thickening can trigger unnecessary cholecystectomies in patients without intrinsic gallbladder disease. Also, misdiagnosis of patients who do in fact require cholecystectomy may delay treatment, thus increasing morbidity. Although a definitive imaging diagnosis may not be possible, the cause of gallbladder wall thickening can be determined in most instances by correlating the clinical presentation with associated imaging findings.
Cholecystectomy ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Gallbladder Diseases ; Gallbladder* ; Humans

Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gallbladder Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Ultrasonography

Congenital cysts of the gallbladder are extremely rare, hence only a few ciliated foregut cysts of gallbladder have been reported. We report a case of a 20-year-old woman presenting with mild right upper quadrant abdominal discomfort, with normal levels of serum bilirubin and liver function tests. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a well-defined cystic mass measured about 2 cm attached to the neck of gallbladder, with internal echogenic debris suggesting a complicated cyst, such as a hemorrhagic cyst. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed similar findings. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy showed a slightly distended gallbladder. The size of cyst on the neck was 1.6x1.2 cm, and it contained mucosa lined by ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium and underlying smooth muscle layers. Histopathology identified a ciliated foregut cyst of gallbladder.
Abdomen/diagnostic imaging ; Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Cysts/diagnostic imaging/pathology/surgery ; Female ; Gallbladder/pathology/surgery ; Gallbladder Diseases/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of micro-flow imaging (MFI) in evaluating blood flow characteristics and differential diagnosis of gallbladder polypoid lesions. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and ultrasound images of 73 patients with gallbladder polypoid lesions, including 24 patients with pathologically confirmed neoplastic polyps (n=24) and 49 with non-neoplastic polyps (n=49). All the patients underwent conventional ultrasound, MFI and contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) before cholecystectomy. The blood flow characteristics of the lesions in color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and MFI were compared, and the consistency of the findings by these two modalities with those of CEUS were evaluated by weighted Kappa consistency test. The diagnostic performance of MFI for gallbladder polypoid lesions was assessed. RESULTS: There were significant differences between MFI and CDFI in the evaluation of blood flow characteristics of gallbladder polypoid lesions (χ²=37.684, P < 0.001). MFI showed better performance than CDFI in displaying the blood flow characteristics of the polyps. The consistency in the findings was 0.118 between CDFI and CEUS and 0.816 between MFI and CEUS. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MFI in distinguishing neoplastic polyps from non-neoplastic polyps were 75.00%, 93.88% and 87.67%, respectively. CONCLUSION MFI has a good consistency with CEUS in displaying the blood flow characteristics of gallbladder polypoid lesions and can accurately distinguish neoplastic polyps from non-neoplastic polyps, thus providing new ultrasound diagnostic evidence to support clinical decisions on optimal treatments of gallbladder polypoid lesions.
Contrast Media ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gallbladder Diseases/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Polyps/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo discuss the principles of diagnosis and treatment of the polypoid lesion of gallbladder.

METHODSClinical and pathological features of 342 cases were analysed.

RESULTSTotally 328 patients with benign polypoid lesions (including 234 cholesterol polyps, and 74 adenomas), and 14 patients with malignant polypoid lesions (including 10 adenocarcinomas and 4 adenomas with malignant changes) were included. Two hundred and forty-seven cases (72.2%) had symptoms. Seventy-eight point six percent of patients with malignant polyps were over 50 years of age, and while 29.9 percent of patients with non-malignant polyps were over 50 years. The lesions were more than 1 cm in 91.7% of the malignant polyps and in only 13.2% of the benign polyps. One hundred percent of malignant polyps, and 46 percent of benign polyps were single polyp.

CONCLUSIONSCholesterol polyps, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas are the most common lesions in polypoid lesion of the gallbladder. Cholecystectomy should be done in patients with symptoms. The risk factors for malignancy are the age of the patient (> 50), the size (> 1 cm), and number (single) of the polypoid lesions. In asymptomatic patients, cholecystectomy can be justified after integrated analysis.

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Adenomatous Polyps ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Cholelithiasis ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gallbladder Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyps ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

Hepatobiliary fibropolycystic diseases are a unique group of entities involving the liver and biliary tract, which are caused by abnormal embryologic development of the ductal plates at various stages. We experienced strange hepatobiliary fibropolycystic diseases with a complex mass composed of malformed ducts and biliary cysts, which did not belong to, and were different from, previously known malformations. They were unique in imaging and histologic features. We herein report three cases of monosegmental hepatobiliary fibropolycystic disease mimicking a mass.
Adult ; Bile Duct Diseases/*diagnosis ; Cysts/*diagnosis ; Diagnostic Imaging/methods ; Female ; Fibrosis/diagnosis ; Gallbladder Diseases/diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/diagnosis ; Liver Diseases/*diagnosis ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis ; Male