Two Cases of Gallbladder Cancer Diagnosed by Intra-Operative Biliary Aspiration Cytology

Hidefumi Ishida, Yutaka Nagata, Hiroshi Ogawa*, Masahiro Yamamoto**, Yohichi Saitoh**

Department of Surgery, Department of Pathology*, Seireimikatabara Hospital
First Department of Surgery, Kobe University School of Medicine**

We report 2 cases of gallbladder cancer diagnosed by intra-operative biliary aspiration cytology. Case 1 was a 66-year-old man in whom US and CT revealed slight wall thickness of the gallbladder, which was filled with stones. Case 2 was a 73-year-old woman in whom US revealed slight wall thickness of the gallbladder and some stones, while CT showed edematous wall thickness.These patients were preoperatively diagnosed as having chronic cholecystitis with stones. Before cholecystectomy intra-operative biliary aspiration cytology demonstrated class V, so appropriate procedures could be chosen. Preoperative diagnosis of gallbladder cancer is so difficult that some cases with wall thickness are not diagnosed until the post-operative histological examination is performed. For such cases, intra-operative biliary aspiration cytology is a very useful diagnostic method with few complications.

Key words
gallbladder cancer, intra-operative biliary, aspiration cytology

Reprint requests
Hidefumi Ishida The First Department of Surgery, Kobe University School of Medicine
7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650 JAPAN

Accepted
February 8, 1995

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