Gallbladder Carcinoma Masquerading as Calculous Cholecystitis: A Rare Case Report

Abstract

The incidence of Gallbladder carcinomas are very rare and may go undetected in radiology. Gallbladder carcinomas account for 1.2% of cancers globally. Gallbladder is the commonest site of cancers of biliary tract and most are adenocarcinomas arising from secretory cells. Most patients are females in their fourth and fifth decades, presenting with vague symptoms like pain and discomfort in locally advanced disease. Most are diagnosed in cholecystectomies done for calculi, polyp or cholecystitis. Biliary type of adenocarcinoma is the most common histologic subtype reported in the literature. The signet ring cell carcinoma of gallbladder is an uncommon subtype with very few reported cases in the past. Here authors report a case of signet ring cell carcinoma of gallbladder in a 42-year-old female patient who presented with dull aching pain in right hypochondrium for six months. Ultrasound and Computed Tomography (CT) revealed calculous cholecystitis with pericholecystic fluid collection. But the final histopathology revealed an unusual variant of gallbladder carcinoma.