A Case of Signet-ring Cell Carcinoma of the Gallbladder

Tetsuo Ajiki, Hirohiko Onoyama, Masao Tomita, Tatsuo Sako, Iwao Yamazaki, Masahiro Yamamoto, Syuichi Yamashita*, Toshitake Motohara*

First Department of Surgery, Kobe University School of Medicine
*Department of Surgery, Meimai Cyuou Hospital (Director: Prof. Yoichi Saito)

We report a case of signet-ring cell carcinoma of the gallbladder in a 67-year-old woman who was admitted with epigastric pain. Under the preoperative diagnosis of cholecystolithiasis with cholecystitis, which was based on findings of CT scan and ultrasonography, laparotomy was performed, revealing an expanding gallbladder with adhesion of the surrounding tissues. Cholecystectomy was performed. The resected gallbladder showed wall thickness at the neck, and had 42 calcium bilirubinate stones. The histological examination showed signet-ring cell carcinoma invading to the serosa in the neck of the gallbladder. The patient did not agree to undergo a second look operation for curative resection, and left the hospital. She died of the disease one year and 11 months after the operation. Signet-ring cell carcinoma of the gallbladder is very rare, and few cases have been reported. Because of the poor prognosis of signet-ring cell carcinoma of the gallbladder, we must be careful to consider inflammatory change of the gallbladder at surgery.

Key words
gallbladder carcinoma, signet-ring cell carcinoma

Reprint requests
Tetsuo Ajiki First Department of Surgery, Kobe University School of Medicine
7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650 JAPAN

Accepted
March 2, 1994

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