A CASE OF SO-CALLED CARCINOSARCOMA (UNDIFFERENTIATED SPINDLE CELL CARCINOMA) OF THE GALLBLADDER

Abstract

We reported a case of primary so-called carcinosarcoma of the gallbladder in a 73-year-old woman. Carcinosarcoma shows the presence of malignant epithelial and mesenchymal elements. Humphrey et al defined typical carcinosarcoma as including specific elements of mesenchyma of bone, cartilage, or muscle tissue. They distinguished it from undifferentiated spindle cell carcinoma, so-called carcinosarcoma, which only shows sarcomatous change. Undifferentiated spindle cell carcinoma frequently occurrs in tissue from squamous epithelium, so a primary case of the gallbladder is rare. This histological appearance which carcinoma shows sarcomatoid change is indeed interesting in terms of carcinogenesis.