A Study of Helicobacter pylori in chronic cholecystitis and gallbladder carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Chronic cholecystitis (CC) accounts for more than 90% of cholecystectomies. Some recent work has demonstrated the presence of Helicobacter pylori in bile and the gallbladder of more than three-fourths of the patients with gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) and in more than half of the patients with CC. Objective: To study the histopathological findings and to demonstrate the presence of H. pylori in CC and GBC in our region. Materials and Methods: One hundred fifty cholecystectomy specimens received during two years were examined after obtaining ethical clearance for the study. The specimens were received in 10% neutral buffered formalin. The specimens were processed, paraffin-embedded, and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosinand Giemsa stain, for the detection of H. pylori. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for H. pylori was done on 35 cases. Results: Of the 150 cases of cholecystectomy specimens, the majority of the patients were in the age group of 41–50 years, with the male:female (M:F) ratio being 1:1.9. The most common lesion was chronic calculous cholecystitis (76%). The spectrum of lesions in our study included chronic acalculouscholecystitis (1.3%), follicular cholecystitis (4.6%), xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (3.3%), acute over CC (2.6%), eosinophilic cholecystitis (2%), cholesterolosis (2%), choledochal cyst (1.3%), acute calculous cholecystitis (1.3%), empyema (0.66%), and gallbladder carcinoma (GBC; 3.3%). Giemsa stain on 150 cases was negative for H. pylori. On 35 cases an IHC was done; none detected H. pylori, indicating that H. pylori infection does not contribute to the development of gallstones in this region.