AIM:To evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with metastases to the gallbladder (MGBs).
METHODS:We performed a single-center retrospective study of 20 patients with MGBs diagnosed pathologically from 1999 to 2007.
RESULTS:Among 417 gallbladder (GB) malignancies, 20 (4.8%) were MGBs. The primary malignancies originated from the stomach (n = 8), colorectum (n = 3), liver (n = 2), kidney (n = 2), skin (n = 2), extrahepatic bile duct (n = 1), uterine cervix (n = 1), and appendix (n = 1). Twelve patients were diagnosed metachronously, presenting with cholecystitis (n = 4), abdominal pain (n = 2), jaundice (n = 1), weight loss (n = 1), and serum CA 19-9 elevation (n = 1); five patients were asymptomatic. The median survival after the diagnosis of MGB was 8.7 mo. On Cox regression analysis, R0 resection was the only factor associated with a prolonged survival [hazard ratio (HR): 0.01, P = 0.002]; presentation with cholecystitis was associated with poor survival (HR: 463.27, P = 0.006).
CONCLUSION:MGBs accounted for 4.8% of all pathologically diagnosed GB malignancies. The most common origin was the stomach. The median survival of MGB was 8.7 mo.
Close surveillance may be suggested as an option for EGC patients for whom a surgical approach is difficult, who exhibit a positive vertical margin after ESD, and who have no lymphovascular or deep submucosa invasion after ESD.
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