Background: Gallbladder Carcinoma (GBC) is the most common malignancy of the biliary tract. It’s indolent and nonspecific clinical presentation and paucity of pathognomonic radiological features, often preclude diagnosis at an early stage. Most of the cases are diagnosed incidentally among patients undergoing cholecystectomy. GBC is a highly lethal disease, with only 10% patients presenting at a stage amenable to surgical resection. In this study we report incidental carcinoma of gallbladder in patients undergoing cholecystectomy at a tertiary care hospital in Bihar.

Methods: An observational study was carried out. The hospital records and histopathology reports of 782 patients who had undergone cholecystectomy were studied.

Results: Out of 782 cases of cholecystectomy, gallbladder cancer was detected in 9 (1.15%) cases and was more common in females (M:F ratio = 1:3.5). The age of occurrence ranged from 29 to 80 years. Most of the cases were at early stages and only two of them were in pT3 pathological stage. Adenocarcinoma was the most common histological type.

Conclusion: The rate of incidental carcinoma of gallbladder is 1.15% in our region. Routine postoperative histopathological examination of gall bladder is mandatory.

Keywords: Gallbladder, Carcinoma, Cholecystectomy, Incidental.

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Rawi Agrawal

Senior Resident, Department of Pathology

I.G.I.M.S., Patna