“…Similar to other organs of the gastrointestinal tract, the mucosa of the gallbladder can undergo several types of epithelial metaplasia, gastric metaplasia and intestinal metaplasia being the most common forms (Pessel et al 1950). Apart from its differential diagnostic importance, metaplasia plays a role as a potential precursor lesion for carcinogenic pathways (Yamagiwa and Tomiyama 1986;Inada et al 1989;Duarte et al 1993;Lewis et al 2007;Meirelles-Costa et al 2010), an issue further discussed in the chapter on gallbladder carcinoma.…”