Correlation Between Morphological Patterns and Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) Enhancement Patterns in Gallbladder Carcinoma With Locoregional Infiltration

Diagnostic accuracy of MDCT in differentiating gallbladder cancer from acute and xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis

Objective: To describe the differential diagnosis and treatment options for xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC), the presentations and management of 68 patients were described. Subjects and Methods: Demographical and clinical data from 68 cases of XGC treated between January 2004 and January 2010 were analyzed. Clinical characteristics, radiological and surgical findings, histopathological features and postoperative recoveries were recorded. Clinical features of laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus open surgery and XGC versus gallbladder (GB) cancer were compared. Results: The CA19-9 levels of XGC and coexisting GB cancer were significantly different (p = 0.0034). In radiological findings, focal thickening of the GB wall was more frequent in coexisting GB cancer, early enhancement of the GB was observed more often in coexisting GB cancer, and lymph node enlargement was seen more often in coexisting GB cancer (p < 0.05). There were also significant differences between laparoscopic and open surgery for CA19-9, intramural hypoattenuated nodule, pericholecystic invasion, lymph node enlargement and maximum thickness, focal thickening, heterogeneous enhancement and early enhancement of the GB wall (p < 0.05). These findings were confirmed by multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Ultrasound, computed tomography scan and intraoperative frozen section were the helpful modalities for XGC diagnosis. CA19-9 (>37 kU/l), pericholecystic invasion, lymph node enlargement (>10 mm), and focal thickening and early enhancement of the GB wall were the criteria for open surgery. In some selected cases, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was preferable.

A retrospective analysis was performed on 32 patients with histologically confirmed xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) and 21 patients with gallbladder carcinoma who underwent surgical treatment between 1998 and 2007. All patients underwent preoperative CT scanning. The CT features analyzed were: the presence of intramural hypoattenuated nodules or bands, mucosal line, the patterns of wall thickening and enhancement, and the presence of stones in the gallbladder. The variables of the CT findings with XGC were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Intramural hypoattenuated nodules were observed in 21 patients (65%) with XGC, but in only six patients (29%) with gallbladder carcinoma (P < 0.01). The mucosal line was observed in 27 patients (84%) with XGC and in only four patients (19%) with gallbladder carcinoma (P < 0.0001). Gallstones were noted in 24 patients (75%) with XGC and five patients (24%) with gallbladder carcinoma (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the pattern of gallbladder wall thickening (diffuse or focal) and the presence of changes outside the gallbladder. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed from the CT features that the enhanced continuous mucosal line (P = 0.0013) and the presence of gallstones (P = 0.0072) were independently correlated with XGC. CT features of the enhanced continuous mucosal line in a thickened gallbladder wall, together with gallstones in a patient with chronic gallbladder disease, are highly suggestive of XGC. Accurate diagnosis of XGC may therefore indicate the need to select a less aggressive surgical approach.

Gallbladder (GB) carcinoma is a relatively rare malignancy and is associated with poor prognosis. Numerous risk factors have been associated with the development of GB carcinoma. GB carcinomas may present as mass lesions replacing the GB, focal or diffuse thickening of the GB wall, and intraluminal mass in the GB. Various benign conditions can mimic GB carcinoma. This article reviews the epidemiology, pathology, clinical findings, imaging features, and management of GB carcinomas.

Clinically or sonographically suspected gallbladder carcinoma was evaluated on multidetector computed tomography. Based on the spectrum of multidetector computed tomography findings, staging of gallbladder carcinoma was done. Multidetector computed tomography diagnosis was compared with pathological diagnosis. This is a prospective study carried out in 100 patients at a rural Indian center between May 2012 and June 2015. Multidetector computed tomography was performed in all the cases and the findings were observed. Based on the radiological spectrum, staging of gallbladder carcinoma was done. The diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology/histopathological examination of surgical specimens. The most common multidetector computed tomography findings noted by us were mass replacing gallbladder, followed by diffuse/focal gallbladder wall thickening and polypoidal mass. Other findings noted were cholelithiasis, liver infiltration, intra hepatic biliary dilatation, liver metastases, portal vein invasion, antroduodenal and hepatic flexure involvement. Ultrasonography guided fine needle aspiration cytology done in all cases was positive in 92 cases and inconclusive in eight cases. Surgery was performed in only 22 patients, and histopathological findings were correlated with multidetector computed tomography findings. Multidetector computed tomography is also reliable in detection of extension of tumor and lymph nodes. multidetector computed tomography plays a major role in evaluating and staging of carcinoma gallbladder. It also guides the surgeons for operatibility and resectability of tumour.

Introduction: Gallbladder carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the biliary tract and is often diagnosed at an advanced stage due to non-specific clinical symptoms. Early and accurate imaging is crucial for timely diagnosis and appropriate surgical planning. This study aimed to evaluate the structural and enhancement characteristics of gallbladder masses using Multi-Detector Computed Tomography (MDCT) and to correlate the imaging findings with histopathological results. Methodology: A prospective cross-sectional diagnostic study was conducted in the Department of Radio-diagnosis at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna. A total of 200 patients with clinically or sonographically suspected gallbladder cancer were enrolled between July 2021 and June 2022. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced MDCT using a Toshiba Aquilion 128-slice scanner. Imaging findings—including tumor morphology, local invasion, lymph node involvement, vascular encasement, and resectability—were recorded. Results: The mean age of the study population was 54.16 years, with a female predominance (70%). Common CT findings included focal irregular wall thickening (33.5%), sessile intraluminal polyps (27.5%), and masses replacing the gallbladder fossa (24.5%). Liver invasion was observed in 81% of cases, and lymph node metastases in 44.5%. Only 28% of patients had resectable disease at diagnosis. Histopathology revealed that moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma was the most frequent type (51.5%). MDCT demonstrated a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 73.08%, and diagnostic accuracy of 96.5%. Conclusion: MDCT is a highly sensitive imaging modality for evaluating suspected gallbladder malignancies. It plays a critical role in tumor staging, assessing local extension, and determining operability. However, due to late-stage presentation, the majority of cases remain unresectable at the time of diagnosis. Recommendation: In endemic regions for gallbladder cancer, early screening through ultrasound followed by contrast-enhanced CT imaging is recommended to facilitate earlier detection and improve surgical outcomes.

Thickening of the gallbladder wall is observed in patients with gallbladder carcinoma, as well as in those with chronic cholecystitis. It is difficult to distinguish between benign and malignant gallbladder wall thickening with conventional diagnostic imaging techniques, such as abdominal ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), particularly in patients with bile duct strictures. Currently, the fluorine-18 2-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT (F-18 FDG PET/CT) scan is widely used in the differentiation of cholecystitis from gallbladder carcinoma. However, the F-18 FDG PET/CT scan may also be responsible for false-positive diagnosis. This case report focuses on a 74-year-old male who presented with thickening of the gallbladder wall and hilar bile duct stricture, originally misdiagnosed as gallbladder carcinoma by US and MRI. F-18 FDG PET/CT also demonstrated increased activity. This case was ultimately proven to be chronic cholecystitis by postoperative pathological examination and it is presented in order to emphasize the significance of considering the possibility of false-positive diagnosis by PET/CT, as a result of inflammatory lesions. Therefore, PET/CT should not be considered the gold standard for the discrimination between benign and malignant gallbladder wall thickening.

Background: Gall bladder carcinoma (GBC) is the most common biliary tract cancer. Delayed presentation and early spread of tumor made it one of the lethal tumors with poor prognosis.Objective: The objective of this study is to find out the incidence of GBC in thick walled gall bladder (GB) in comparison with that of normal wall thickness.Methods: This prospective study was carried out in Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Dhaka, CMH Momenshahi and CMH Ghatail during the period of June 2007 to June 2014. A total 300 patients underwent cholecystectomy were studied retrospectively. Diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination.Results: Out of 300 patients 254 (84.88%) were female (male : female = 1:5.52), age range 28 to 79 years. Maximum number of the patients fall into fourth and fifth decades. 42 (14%) patients were found to have thick walled GB by preoperative sonography and during surgery. Histopathologically 13 (4.33%) patients were diagnosed as GBC. Maximum patient (52.33%) had chronic cholecystitis. Incidence of malignancy were higher (84.62%) in patients having thicke walled GB.Conclusion: GBC may present as focal or diffuse asymmetric wall thickening or even in GB having normal wall thickness. As early diagnosis and effective treatment can significantly reduce the morality and morbidity all specimen should be examined histopathologically.J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2016; 34(4): 193-198

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of CT in differentiating adenomyomatosis from gallbladder cancer. We retrospectively identified the cases of 36 patients with pathologically proven adenomyomatosis (n = 22) or gallbladder cancer (n = 14) who had undergone preoperative abdominal CT. Two reviewers independently evaluated the presence and nature of morphologic gallbladder abnormalities, including the presence of intramural diverticula (i.e., small cystic-appearing spaces within the gallbladder wall). The reviewers used a five-point scale (1, definitely absent; 5, definitely present) to rate the overall likelihood of the presence of adenomyomatosis and gallbladder cancer. Ratings were dichotomized such that a diagnosis was considered present at a rating of 4 or 5 and considered absent at lower ratings. Reviewer 1 detected a morphologic gallbladder abnormality in 17 patients and correctly characterized the abnormality in 14 (82%) of the patients (eight with adenomyomatosis and six with gallbladder cancer). Reviewer 2 detected an abnormality in 18 patients and was correct for 13 (72%) of the patients (eight with adenomyomatosis and five with gallbladder cancer). In particular, reviewer 1 detected intramural diverticula in eight patients, and all had the pathologic diagnosis of adenomyomatosis, whereas reviewer 2 detected intramural diverticula in 11 patients, and eight (73%) had the pathologic diagnosis of adenomyomatosis. CT is limited in the detection and differentiation of adenomyomatosis and gallbladder cancer, but the diagnosis of adenomyomatosis can be made with reasonable accuracy when thickening of the gallbladder wall is seen to contain small cystic-appearing spaces.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of HRUS, CT, and MRI for differentiating xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) from gallbladder (GB) cancer. Patients with surgically proven XGC (n=40) and GB cancer (n=44), who had undergone at least one HRUS (n=43), CT (n=82), or MRI (n=34) examination between 2000 and 2012, were included. Two radiologists retrospectively graded the likelihood of XGC or GB cancer using a 5-point confidence scale; they also assessed the imaging features. Statistical analyses were performed using ROC, ANOVA, and Fisher's exact test. Diagnostic performance of MRI was better than HRUS for differentiating XGC from GB cancer (AUCs=0.867 and 0.911 vs. AUCs=0.818 and 0.86). However, HRUS showed a better performance than CT (AUCs=0.818 and 0.86 vs. AUCs=0.806 and 0.84) with moderate to excellent agreement (κ=0.48-0.83). Statistically common findings for XGC included non-focal thickening, smooth GB wall, presence of intramural nodules, type I enhancement of wall, transient hepatic attenuation difference, and continuity of mucosa (p<0.05). Co-existence of gallstones (OR=16.5), non-focal thickening (OR=14.7), and collapsed lumen (OR=13.0) on HRUS, and type I enhancement on CT (OR=3.52) were independently associated with XGC (p<0.05). Although MRI showed a better performance than both HRUS and CT, HRUS showed a better performance than CT. The co-existence of gallstones, non-focal thickening, and collapsed lumen on HRUS was independently associated with XGC.

To establish a diagnostic nomogram using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in gallbladder wall thickening mimicking malignancy and compare with multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT). Seventy-two patients with gallbladder wall thickening on B-mode ultrasonography (BUS) were examined by CEUS to develop independent predictors for diagnosing gallbladder carcinoma. Among the 72 cases, 48 patients underwent both CEUS and MDCT. The diagnostic performances of different sets of CEUS criteria and MDCT were compared. A prediction model of malignancy using CEUS was developed. The performance of the nomogram was assessed with respect to its calibration, discrimination, and clinical usefulness. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that inhomogeneous enhancement in the arterial phase was the strongest independent predictor of malignancy (odds ratio, OR 51.162), followed by interrupted inner layer (OR 19.788), washout time≤40s (OR 16.686), and wall thickness>1.6cm (OR 3.019), which were all selected into the nomogram. Combined with the above significant features, the diagnostic performance of CEUS (AUC=0.917) was higher than that of MDCT (AUC=0.788, P=0.070). The predictive model using CEUS showed good discrimination, with a concordance index of 0.974 (0.950 through internal validation), and good calibration. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically useful. CEUS could accurately differentiate between malignant and benign gallbladder wall thickening with equivalent efficacy compared to MDCT. The proposed nomogram could be conveniently used to facilitate the preoperative individualized prediction of malignancy in patients with gallbladder wall thickening.

BackgroundAdenomyomatosis of gallbladder is an acquired hyperplastic lesion, characterized by focal or diffuse thickening of the gallbladder with intramural cysts or echogenic areas with comet tail on ultrasonography. But in some cases, especially in the localized fundal type of adenomyomatosis, the intramural anechoic cystic spaces are uncertainty which causes difficult to differential adenomyomatosis from GB cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(CEUS) in the diagnosis of the fundal localized type of gallbladder adenomyomatosis.MethodsWe performed a retrospective study of 21 patients with pathologically proven fundal localized type of gallbladder (GB) adenomyomatosis. All patients underwent preoperative grayscale ultrasound (US) and real-time CEUS examination. The study’s reviewers made the diagnosis of adenomyomatosis according to the presence of the focal thickening of the fundal gallbladder wall with intramural cyst or intramural echogenic foci on grayscale US or CEUS. The diagnostic accuracy of US and CEUS was compared. The enhanced pattern and degree of intactness of the GB wall were also recorded.ResultsThe fundal portion of the GB wall showed localized thickness in all 21 patients. Small anechoic spaces or intramural echogenic foci were detected in 14 (66.7 %) and 21 (100 %) of cases respectively, and the intactness of the GB wall’s outer hyper-echoic layer was demonstrated in 17 (81 %) and 20 (95 %) on grayscale US and CEUS, respectively. The accuracy rate of the above two examination modalities was significantly different (p < 0.05). In the arterial phase of the CEUS, areas of focal thickened GB wall were iso-enhanced in 18 cases and hyper-enhanced in 3 cases. All 21 cases appeared to show heterogeneous enhancement with small non-enhancement spaces. The mucosal and serosal layers of the GB wall surrounding the lesions were enhanced, which presented as two “hyper-echoic lines” in the arterial phase of CEUS. In the venous phase of the CEUS, 19 lesions were iso-enhanced and 2 lesions were hypo-enhanced. The small non-enhancement spaces were more clearly during the venous phase.ConclusionThe small non-enhancement space is a characteristic finding of the fundal localized type of gallbladder adenomyomatosis on CEUS. CEUS could increase the degree of visualization of Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses (RAS) and intactness of the GB wall, which play an important role in differential diagnosis.

Gallbladder cancer is the most common biliary tract malignant tumor, with unfavorable patient outcomes. The present study aimed to identify potential diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for gallbladder cancer. To do so, differentially expressed genes in the gallbladder walls and tumor tissues of patients with gallbladder cancer were analyzed via microarray. Furthermore, a protein-protein interaction network was constructed and genes with a degree score >10 were selected as hub genes. As ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E2T (UBE2T) was considered to be a hub gene, its expression was assessed via reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q)PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). In addition, the association between UBE2T expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with gallbladder cancer was analyzed using the χ2 test. Furthermore, all patients were divided into high- and low groups based on UBE2T expression level and overall survival analysis was performed. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to determine whether UBE2T may serve as an independent risk factor for gallbladder cancer. The results demonstrated that UBE2T expression was upregulated in the gallbladder walls and tumor tissues of patients with gallbladder cancer. Furthermore, UBE2T expression level was confirmed to be upregulated following RT-qPCR, and results from IHC demonstrated that UBE2T was predominantly expressed in the cytoplasm of gallbladder cancer cells. In addition, high UBE2T expression level was associated with clinical stage, T classification, N classification and M classification. The results from Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that UBE2T expression level may be considered as an independent risk factor for gallbladder cancer. Taken together, the findings from this study suggested that high UBE2T expression level may contribute to the poor prognosis of patients with gallbladder cancer, and that UBE2T may act as an independent prognostic biomarker for these patients.

Gallbladder wall thickening is relatively common in clinical settings, and for appropriate diagnosis, the size, shape, internal structure, surface contour, and vascularity of the gallbladder wall must be evaluated. Morphological evaluation is the most important; however, some gallbladder lesions resemble gallbladder cancer in imaging studies, making differential diagnosis challenging. Vascular evaluation is indispensable for a precise diagnosis in these cases. In this review, we present the current status of vascular evaluation using US and diagnosis using vascular imaging for gallbladder lesions, including those presenting with wall thickening. To date, several ultrasound imaging techniques have been developed to assess vascularity, including Doppler imaging with high sensitivity, use of contrast agents, and microvascular imaging using a novel filter for Doppler imaging. Although conventional color Doppler imaging is rarely used for the diagnosis of gallbladder lesions, the efficacy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in assessing the vascularity, enhancement pattern, or timing of enhancement/washout has been reported. Presence of multiple irregular microvessels has been speculated to indicate malignancy. However, few reports on microvessels have been published, and further studies are required for the precise diagnosis of gallbladder lesions with microvascular evaluation.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in differ-entiation between benign and malignant gallbladder diseases. Methods Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed in eighty patients who were suspicious of gallbladder cancer by conventional ultra-sound. Final diagnosis proved that it was gallbladder cancers 33 patients and benign gallbladder disease in 47. Contrast agent SonoVue and low mechanical index imaging mode were applied. The contrast en-hancement characteristics of the initial enhancement time, the enhancement pattern and the integrality of gallbladder wall adjacent to lesions were analyzed. Meanwhile, the ability of differentiating diagno-sis between benign and malignant gallbladder diseases with contrast-enhanced ultrasound was investi-gated. Results The percentages of those lesions that exhibited hyper-enhancement or iso-enhancement in the early phase and turned to hypo-enhancement within 35s after contrast agent administration were 96.8 % (30/31) in gallbladder cancers and 19.5 % (8/41) in benign lesions(P<0. 001), and the mean time to be hypo-enhancement was (29.5 ± 9.8) s in gallbladder cancers and (58. 8±13.9) s in benign lesions (P<0. 001). Inhomogeneous enhancement was found in 26 (78. 8% ,26/33) gallbladder carci-nomas and 13 (27.6% ,13/47) benign lesions (P<0. 001). Destruction of the integrality of gallblad-der wall was found in 28 (84. 8% ,28/33) gallbladder carcinomas and none (0. 0% ,0/47) of benign le-sions (P<0. 001). The accuracies for differential diagnosis between malignant and benign gallbladder diseases were 72. 5% (58/80) for conventional ultrasound and 93. 8% (75/80) for contrast-enhanced ultrasound (P<0. 001). Conclusion Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can significantly improve the abili-ty of differentiating diagnosis between benign and malignant gallbladder diseases compared with con-ventional ultrasound. The method is deserved to be popularized in clinical practice. Key words: Ultrasonic diagnosis; Gallbladder disease; Differentiating diagnosis