Department of Radiology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College, Seoul Korea
ABSTRACT
The gallbladder carcinoma accounts for 1.9% of all cancer and occurs predominantly in women over 50 years of age. As a rule, it may not be detected until the lesion has become quite large and has extended to adjacent structures. Ultrasonography is a direct imaging procedure which is widely used for the diagnosis of gallbladder carcinoma.
Authors analyzed sonographic findings of 24 patients with gallbladder carcinoma diagnosed at the Department of Radiology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College during the past 5 years.
1. The gallbladder carcinoma was most prevalent in the sixth decade of life with equal ration of male to female patients.
2. The ultrasonographic findings of gallbladder carcinoma were classified into four types. The mass filling or replacing the gallbladder type was seen in 11 cases(46%), the thickened gallbladder-wall type in 6 cases (25%), fungation mass type in 4 cases(17%), and mixed type with thickened gallbladder-wall and fungating mass in 3 cases(13%).
3. Gallbladder carcinoma was associated with gallstones in 50%, with dilated bile ducts in 54%, with directinvasion of adjacent liver parenchyma in 50%, and with distant metastasis to the liver in 13%