Porcelain gallbladder

Excerpt

Porcelain gallbladder is considered a rare condition characterized by calcification of the gallbladder wall and is found in 0.06 % to 0.08 % of autopsies [1]. This computed tomographic (CT) scan image (Fig. 1), from a 59-year-old woman, demonstrates this abnormality. She presented with 2 months history of pain in the right upper quadrant and intermittent intolerance to fatty foods and was found to have a hard palpable mass in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Plain film of the abdomen revealed an oval calcification in the right upper quadrant, and ultrasound examination showed circumferential calcification of the wall of gallbladder. Most patients are asymptomatic. It is associated with an increased risk of gallbladder malignancy, ie. between 5 % and 12 % [2]. The most common type of malignancy is adenocarcinoma which accounts for 80 % of porcelain gallbladder-associated cancers. Cholecystectomy should be considered.

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