Adenocarcinoma in a Gallbladder Cyst Derived from Rokitansky-Aschoff Sinus

Koh Uyama, Hiroshi Okitsu, Hisashi Ishikura, Toshihiro Ichimori, Masashi Ishikawa, Suguru Kimura, Akihiro Sakata and Yoshiyuki Fujii*

Department of Surgery and Department of Pathology*, Tokushima Red Cross Hospital

A 55- year-old woman admitted for gallstones was found in ultrasonography and abdominal CT scan to have a cystic lesion 30 mm in diameter in the body of the gallbladder, which divided the gallbladder into two parts, neck and fungus. Small gallstones were also seen at the neck of the gallbladder. We undertook laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Macroscopic examination found a large cyst in the body of the gallbladder and some gallstones at the neck of the gallbladder. An incision showed to be filled with coagulated bile. Histologically, the cyst was an enlarged Rokitansky-Aschoff sinus whose inner surface was lined by a single layer of papillary hyperplasia and well differentiated adenocarcinoma. Gallbladder cysts are rare, with only 4 cases of cancerous gallbladder cyst reported worldwide in so far as we know. We report this extremely rare combination of gallbladder cyst and cancer, together with a review of the literature.

Key words
gallbladder cancer, Rokitansky-Aschoff sinus, gallbladder cyst

Reprint requests
Koh Uyama Department of Surgery, Tokushima Red Cross Hospital
28-1 Shinbiraki, Chuden-cho, Komatsushima, 773-8502 JAPAN

Accepted
January 26, 2005

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