Carcinoma in the Porcelain Gallbladder

Gallbladder cancer

“…The actual rate of gallbladder cancer in patients with stones is quite low, however (0.3%), and therefore the risks of cholecystectomy seem to outweigh the risks of the development of gallbladder cancer in these patients. Patients with a porceline gallbladder, representing extensive calcification throughout the wall of the gallbladder (a result of severe chronic inflammation), have a gallbladder cancer rate of up to 25% [59]. Patients with this finding on X-ray studies should undergo cholecystectomy in the asymptomatic setting, with careful examination of the gallbladder closely after excision.…”

Carcinoma of the gallbladder

“…In one prospective randomized study of 123 patients with documented gallstones followed for more than 1,000 person years, not a single gallbladder cancer was seen [7]. Calcification of the gallbladder itself is a significant risk of gallbladder cancer, estimated between 12% and 61% [8,9], and patients with "porcelain" gallbladder should undergo prophylactic cholecystectomy. Calcification of the gallbladder is usually the endpoint of sustained chronic cholecystitis, which probably represents the risk factor.…”

‘Porcelain Kidney’: Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…This clinical entity presumably occurs due to chronic inflammatory scarring of the gallbladder wall. Although no causal relationship has been established, porcelain gallbladder is found to have foci of adenocarcinoma in up to 22% cases [1,2] .…”