Ultrasound Modality in the Evaluation and Management of Gallbladder Polyps

Abstract

Gallbladder polyps (GBP) are defined as developed masses inside the wall of the gallbladder; most of them (90%) are nontumor lesions. Abdominal ultrasound is the main and the first line radiological modality for their diagnosis and their risk lamination. We conducted a 12 year retrospective study between 2009 and 2020, which included patients who had preoperative transabdominal ultrasonography showing gallbladder polyps and had undergone cholecystectomy, and for whom postoperative pathology results were available, as well as patients who had at least one polyp discovered on the histopathological exam and who were not determined preoperatively. A total of 70 patients were identified. Preoperative diagnosis of vesicular polyp by ultrasound was carried in 82.9% of patients. The number of ultrasounds performed per person was 1.2 ± 0.47. The polyps’ size in mm was on average 6.14 ± 2.6 with extremes between 3 and 13 mm. On anatomopathological examination, a polyp was objectified in 33.3% of cases. In our series, abdominal ultrasound had a low sensitivity at 36.4%. We aim to provide the accuracy of abdominal ultrasound for the diagnosis of GBP, as a low-cost modality, and to evaluate the concordance of preoperative ultrasound imaging with postoperative pathology.