A CASE OF SUPERFICIAL CANCER OF GALLBLADDER DIAGNOSED BY ULTRASONOGRAPHY AND PERCUTANEOUS TRANSHEPATIC CHOLECYSTOSCOPY AND DOUBLE CONTRAST STUDY OF GALLBLADDER

Abstract

A 64 year old woman without complaints was pointed out to have slight elevated lesion on the body of gallbladder by ultrasound. On endoscopic ultrasonography a thickened mucosal layer was recognized. Percutaneous transhepatic cholecystoscopy revealed that the surface of the lesion was irregular and papillary with dilated capillary veins. The neck of the gallbladder had a regular arranged granular mucosal patten. Furthermore, the double contrast study of gallbladder demonstrated that the cystic duct had normal mucosa. Biopsies from the elevated lesion showed the atypical epithelia. We diagnosed the lesion as a cancer of gallbladder on the basis of overall imaging tequniques. Extended cholecys-tectomy was performed. Cancer invaded mainly in the mucosal layer, but partially in the proper muscular layer and subserosal layer of the body of gallbladder. Atypical epithelia were noted around the cancerous lesion. No cancer cell was observed in the cystic duct.