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Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) is an uncommon variant of chronic cholecystitis. The perioperative findings in aggressive cases may be indistinguishable from those of gallbladder or biliary tract carcinomas. Three patients presented mass lesions that infiltrated the hepatic hilum, provoked biliary dilatation and jaundice, and were indicative of malignancy. Surgical excision was performed following oncological principles and included extirpation of the gallbladder, extrahepatic bile duct, and hilar lymph nodes, as well as partial hepatectomy. Postoperative morbidity was minimal. Surgical pathology demonstrated XGC and absence of malignancy in all three cases. All three patients are alive and well after years of follow-up. XGC may have such an aggressive presentation that carcinoma may only be ruled out on surgical pathology. In such cases, the best option may be radical resection following oncological principles performed by expert surgeons, in order that postoperative complications may be minimized if not avoided altogether.

The purpose was to evaluate MR colonography (MRC) with barium fecal tagging in detecting colorectal pathology and to determine how air-based and water-based colonic distension influences MRC. We studied 83 patients with high risk of colonic neoplasms. All received oral barium sulfate for colonic preparation before unenhanced and enhanced T1-weighted gradient-echo MRC using either water (n=54) or air (n=29) for colonic distension. Fecal tagging, distension, and artifacts were recorded. All patients underwent conventional colonoscopy within 2 weeks of MRC; the techniques were compared for detection of malignant neoplasms and polyps >or=1 cm, 6-9 mm, and or=1 cm, but more air-distended MRC were excluded for poor quality. MRC with fecal tagging is useful for detecting lesions >or=1 cm. Air distension was inferior to water distension in most aspects. Water-based colonic distension should be used for barium-tagging MRC.

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