CARCINOMA OF THE GALLBLADDER

Abstract

The thirtysix patients with carcinoma of the gallbladder who were diagnosed between 1974 to 1995 at Dicle University Medical Faculty, General Surgery Department were reviewed. The cases were evaluated by age, sex, preoperative diagnosis methods, physical examinations, laboratory findings, surgical treatment methods, morbidity and criteria of the survival. There were 25 women (69.4%), 11 men (30.6%). The female/male ratio was 2.27/1. The mean age was 58.5 with a range of 49 to 90 years. The most common complaint of initial admission was the pain of the right upper quadrant (94.4%). Sixteen patients had obstructive jaundice (44.4%). Twenty-five patients had abnormality on the liver function tests (69.4%). Through all preoperative examination and methods, only 11 patients were diagnosed during the preoperative period, the remainder were detected at the operation time. The most common metastasis were localized in the regional lymph nodes (83%) and then the liver (66%). Because of the inoperability findings in 9 patients (25%), we performed only exploration and biopsy, and we performed palliative and curative surgical treatment in the remainder. In the histopathological examination of the operative specimens and biopsy materials, adenocancer and squamous cell cancer were found in 33 and 3 cases, respectively. Patients were staged for their operative findings and histopathologic results according to NEVIN classification, and surgical treatment methods and survival were evaluated. The total morbidity was 25% (9 cases). Five patients died within postoperative 30 days. The early mortality rate was 13.9%. In this series, the five year survival rate was 6.5%.