Carcinoma involving the gallbladder in elderly patients presenting with acute cholecystitis

Preoperative diagnoses and identification rates of unexpected gallbladder cancer

Background

Unexpected gallbladder cancer (UGBC) is sometimes found in the resected gallbladder of patients during or after surgery. Some reports have indicated UGBC identification rates for all gallbladder surgeries, but scarce data are available for the UGBC identification rates for specific gallbladder diseases. The present study was performed to clarify UGBC rates and the factors suspicious for UGBC categorized according to preoperative diagnoses, in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LSC).

Methods

We recorded data for all LSC surgeries performed in the Department of Surgery, Sada Hospital, Japan since 1991, and analyzed the 28-year data. We used the chi-square test and Kaplan–Meier analysis for this retrospective case–control study.

Results

The UGBC identification rate was 0.69% (63/9186 patients). The UGBC identification rates categorized according to the preoperative diagnoses were 1.3% (13/969) for acute cholecystitis, 2.4% (16/655) for benign tumor, 2.0% (28/1383) for chronic cholecystitis or cholecystitis, and 0.054% (3/5585) for cholecystolithiasis. The percentage of older patients (≥ 60 years) was significantly higher in UGBCs compared with cases finally diagnosed as benign in each group categorized according to the preoperative diagnoses (p≤0.0014), except for cholecystolithiasis. In cases pre-diagnosed as benign tumor, UGBCs were associated with higher rates of thickened gallbladder wall compared with benign tumor (69.2% vs. 27.9%, respectively; p = 0.0011). UGBCs pre-diagnosed as acute cholecystitis had higher T2–T4 rates (100% vs. 64.3%, respectively; p<0.05) and lower survival rates (p = 0.0149) than UGBCs pre-diagnosed with chronic cholecystitis.

Conclusions

UGBC identification rates depend on the preoperative diagnosis and range from 0.054% to 2.4%. Older age (≥ 60 years) could be related to UGBC, and a pre-diagnosis of acute cholecystitis might indicate more advanced cancer compared with a pre-diagnosis of chronic cholecystitis.

Differentiation between gallbladder cancer with acute cholecystitis: Considerations for surgeons during emergency cholecystectomy, a cohort study

PURPOSE

Gallbladder cancer (GBCA) is an uncommon malignancy with vague and non-specific symptoms. GBCA is sometimes diagnosed after emergency cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. We investigated the differential diagnosis between GBCA with acute cholecystitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirteen patients were diagnosed with GBCA after emergency cholecystectomy carried out for acute cholecystitis. A radiologist who was blinded to the final diagnoses retrospectively reviewed the computed tomography (CT) scans of the patients with GBCA and 25 patients with acute cholecystitis. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of these patients and compared the clinical characteristics and CT findings between patients with GBCA and those with acute cholecystitis. We also investigated the prognostic factors in patients with GBCA who underwent emergency cholecystectomy.

RESULTS

Gallbladder (GB) stones were found more often in patients with acute cholecystitis (n = 17, 68%) than in patients with GBCA (n = 7, 53.8%) (p = 0.486). Patients with GBCA showed typical GB masses or focal enhanced wall thickening when compared to diffuse wall thickening in patients with acute cholecystitis. Some GBCA patients showed irregular mural thickening and GB enhancement. Differentiating carcinoma from acute cholecystitis might sometimes not possible, but the latter group of patients had significantly lower C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (p = 0.033) and less regional fat stranding (p = 0.047). Survival was significantly affected by aggressive tumor characteristics (lymphatic invasion [p = 0.025], depth of tumor invasion [p = 0.004]) or R0 resection (p = 0.013) rather than bile spillage (p = 0.112).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgeons deciding on emergency cholecystectomy for elderly patients with acute cholecystitis must suspect GBCA in patients with a low CRP level, irregular mural thickening or enhancement of GB without regional fat stranding.

Histological examination of frozen sections for patients with acute cholecystitis during cholecystectomy

BACKGROUND

Unexpected gallbladder cancer may present with acute cholecystitis-like manifestations. Some authors recommended that frozen section analysis should be performed during laparoscopic cholecystectomy for all cases of acute cholecystitis. Others advocate selective use of frozen section analysis based on gross examination of the specimen by the surgeon. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether surgeons could effectively identify suspected gallbladder with macroscopic examination alone. If not, is routine frozen section analysis worth advocating?

METHODS

A total of 1162 patients with acute cholecystitis who had undergone simple cholecystectomy in our hospital from February 2009 to February 2014 were enrolled in the study. The data of patients with acute cholecystitis especially those with concurrent gallbladder cancer in terms of clinical characteristics, operative records, frozen section diagnosis and histopathology reports were analyzed.

RESULTS

Thirteen patients with acute cholecystitis were found to have concurrent gallbladder cancer, with an incidence of 1.1% in acute cholecystitis. Forty patients with acute cholecystitis were suspected to have gallbladder cancer by macroscopic examination and specimens were taken for frozen section analysis. Six patients with gallbladder cancer were correctly identified by macroscopic examination alone but 7 patients with gallbladder cancer missed, including 3 patients with advanced cancer (2 T3 and 1 T2). Meanwhile, in 6 gallbladder cancer specimens sent for frozen section analysis, 3 early gallbladder cancers (2 Tis and 1 T1a) were missed by frozen section analysis. However, the remaining 3 patients with advanced gallbladder cancers (2 T3 and 1 T2) were correctly diagnosed.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of comorbidity of gallbladder cancer and acute cholecystitis is higher than that of non-acute cholecystitis. The accurate diagnosis of gallbladder cancer by surgeons is poor and frozen section analysis is necessary.

Practical guidelines for the surgical treatment of gallbladder cancer

At present, surgical treatment is the only curative option for gallbladder (GB) cancer. Many efforts therefore have been made to improve resectability and the survival rate. However, GB cancer has a low incidence, and no randomized, controlled trials have been conducted to establish the optimal treatment modalities. The present guidelines include recent recommendations based on current understanding and highlight controversial issues that require further research. For T1a GB cancer, the optimal treatment modality is simple cholecystectomy, which can be carried out as either a laparotomy or a laparoscopic surgery. For T1b GB cancer, either simple or an extended cholecystectomy is appropriate. An extended cholecystectomy is generally recommended for patients with GB cancer at stage T2 or above. In extended cholecystectomy, a wedge resection of the GB bed or a segmentectomy IVb/V can be performed and the optimal extent of lymph node dissection should include the cystic duct lymph node, the common bile duct lymph node, the lymph nodes around the hepatoduodenal ligament (the hepatic artery and portal vein lymph nodes), and the posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal lymph node. Depending on patient status and disease severity, surgeons may decide to perform palliative surgeries.

Significance of ultrasonography in selecting methods for the treatment of acute cholecystitis

Surgical removal of the gallbladder is indicated in nearly all cases of complicated acute cholecystitis. In the 1990s, laparoscopic cholecystectomy became the method of choice in the treatment of cholecystolithiasis. Due to a large inflammatory reaction in the course of acute inflammation, a laparoscopic procedure is conducted in technically difficult conditions and entails the risk of complications.

The value of percutaneous ultrasound in predicting conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy due to acute cholecystitis

Background

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the treatment of choice for gallstone disease. Advantages of the laparoscopic approach include lower morbidity and mortality rates, reduced length of hospital stay, and earlier return to work. In acute cholecystitis, severe inflammation makes laparoscopic dissection technically more demanding, with a higher risk of related complications that require conversion to open cholecystectomy.

Methods

We reviewed the records of 5,596 patients who underwent cholecystectomy between 1993 and 2011 in a single institution. A laparoscopic approach was undertaken in 4,105 patients (73.4 %). The ultrasound signs of acute cholecystitis were found in 542 patients (13.2 %) who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We analyzed the ultrasound presentations of acute cholecystitis in patients who required conversion to open cholecystectomy and compared them with the ultrasound signs of acute cholecystitis in patients who had a completed laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Results

A conversion to open cholecystectomy in patients with acute cholecystitis was necessary in 24 % (n = 130) of the patients compared to 3.4 % of the patients with uncomplicated gallstone disease. The most frequent ultrasound findings in patients requiring conversion were a pericholecystic exudate in 42 %, a difficult identification of anatomical structures due to local severe inflammation in 34 %, and gallbladder wall thickening of >5 mm in 31 %. Additionally, when the duration of symptoms exceeded 3 days, more than half of the patients required conversion to open cholecystectomy and the conversion rate was fivefold higher than for those with a shorter duration of acute cholecystitis.

Conclusions

In patients with severe acute cholecystitis found on ultrasound, combined with gallbladder wall thickening to >5 mm, pericholecystic exudates or abscess adjacent to the gallbladder, difficulty identifying anatomical structures within Calot’s triangle, specifically when the duration of symptoms exceeds 3 days, cholecystectomy should be done as an open approach because of the high risk of conversion.

Predictors of incidental gallbladder cancer in patients undergoing cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Discovery of incidental gallbladder cancer (IGC) has become more frequent due to adoption of laparoscopy. Gallbladder spillage during operation can disseminate cancer and worsen the prognosis.

METHODS

Patients who underwent laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder disease January 1996 to August 2011 at two tertiary care facilities were reviewed. Unmatched controls were randomly selected in 2:1 ratio. Preoperative variables were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven patients with IGC were identified and compared to 134 controls. Mean age was 68 for index cases and 49 for controls; 70% of cases and 75% of controls were female. Multivariate analysis showed that higher risk of IGC was significantly associated with age ≥ 65 (OR = 10.61, P < 0.0001), dilated bile ducts (OR = 4.76, P = 0.0028), and presence of gallbladder wall thickening (OR = 4.39, P = 0.0003). This model yielded a very good area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic (AUC = 0.83) for discriminating the patients with IGC from controls.

CONCLUSIONS

IGC is more likely to be found in patients when age is ≥65, with dilated bile ducts and gallbladder wall thickening. Preoperative suspicion of gallbladder cancer should prompt the surgeon to be more careful not to perforate the gallbladder during laparoscopic approach, and to have a lower threshold for conversion if necessary.

Unexpected gallbladder cancer after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis: a worrisome picture

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to assess the prognosis of unexpected gallbladder cancer diagnosed after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis.

METHODS

Data of all patients treated for unexpected gallbladder cancer after laparoscopic cholecystectomy at a tertiary care surgical center between January 1998 and December 2009 were reviewed. Demographics and clinical and pathological data of patients submitted to adjunctive revisional surgery were analyzed. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank test was used to compare the survival curves. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to determine the effect on survival of urgent surgery for acute cholecystitis and of the other common factors such as age, gender, tumor grading, pT stage, nodal involvement, residual disease at re-exploration, and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage.

RESULTS

In the considered period, 34 patients with pT1b, pT2, or pT3 unexpected gallbladder cancer underwent a second standard revisional procedure including resection of liver segments 4b and 5, lymphadenectomy, and port-sites excision. Thirteen patients had previously undergone urgent surgery for acute cholecystitis; 21 had undergone a routine operation. The 5-year overall survival was 63.3 %. At multivariate analysis, G3 tumor grading (hazard ratio, 12.261; p = 0.002), residual disease at re-exploration [hazard ratios (HR) = 7.760, p = 0.004], and urgent surgery for acute cholecystitis (HR = 5.436, p = 0.012) were independent predictors of poor prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognosis of unexpected gallbladder cancer is worsened when laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed for acute cholecystitits. The unfavorable impact of emergency surgery on prognosis might be related to intraoperative gallbladder emptying with bile spillage and cancer dissemination.

Complicated cholecystitis: the complementary roles of sonography and computed tomography

Acute cholecystitis is a common cause of abdominal pain in the Western world. Unless treated promptly, patients with acute cholecystitis may develop complications such as gangrenous, perforated, or emphysematous cholecystitis. Because of the increased morbidity and mortality of complicated cholecystitis, early diagnosis and treatment are essential for optimal patient care. Nevertheless, complicated cholecystitis may pose significant challenges with cross-sectional imaging, including sonography and computed tomography (CT). Interpreting radiologists should be familiar with the spectrum of sonographic findings seen with complicated cholecystitis and as well as understand the complementary role of CT. Worrisome imaging findings for complicated cholecystitis include intraluminal findings (sloughed mucosa, hemorrhage, abnormal gas), gallbladder wall abnormalities (striations, asymmetric wall thickening, abnormal gas, loss of sonoreflectivity and contrast enhancement), and pericholecystic changes (echogenic fat, pericholecystic fluid, abscess formation). Finally, diagnosis of complicated cholecystitis by sonography and CT can guide alternative treatments including minimally invasive percutaneous and endoscopic options.

Unsuspected gallbladder cancer diagnosed after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: focus on acute cholecystitis

BACKGROUND

The aim of the present study was to investigate clinicopathological features of patients who were diagnosed with unsuspected gallbladder cancer (UGC) after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and to clarify the relationship between acute cholecystitis (AC) and unsuspected gallbladder cancer.

METHODS

From June 1997 to March 2008, a total of 2,607 LCs were performed at Ajou University Medical Center. Twenty-six patients (1.0%) were diagnosed with gallbladder cancer after LC. We excluded patients with preoperatively or intraoperatively suspected gallbladder cancer.

RESULTS

Of 1,128 patients with AC, 19 (1.6%) were identified with gallbladder cancer after surgery. The preoperative diagnosis included a high rate of acute and severe acute cholecystitis (n = 19; 73.1%). The rate of conversion to open surgery was 15.4% (4/26), and bile spillage occurred in 14 of 26 patients (53.8%). Adenocarcinoma (92.3%) and pT2 (65.4%) were the most common pathological findings. In 19 UGC patients with AC, the most common pathological finding was also pT2 (n = 12; 63.1%). In addition, all 5 of the patients with positive resection margin belonged to the UGC with AC group. Two of 26 patients (7.7%) underwent additional surgery after LC, and 2 patients (7.7%) underwent excision of the port site/wound for recurrence. The overall median survival was 32 months (95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 21-43). There were no significant differences in age, the presence of acute cholecystitis, or bile spillage (P > 0.05) However, tumor differentiation was associated significantly with survival rate.

CONCLUSIONS

The preoperative diagnosis included a high rate of acute and severe acute cholecystitis. Survival was not associated with the presence of AC and bile spillage. Therefore, we suggest that AC may not influence the prognosis of unsuspected gallbladder cancer after LC. Moreover, good tumor differentiation can guarantee favorable survival, even in UGC with AC.

Gallbladder carcinoma manifesting as acute cholecystitis: clinical and computed tomographic features

BACKGROUND

Gallbladder carcinoma is uncommon and may manifest as acute cholecystitis. An accurate diagnosis is helpful for operative planning and this study attempted to explore the distinctive clinical and computed tomographic (CT) features for differentiating acute cholecystitis alone from that with contemporaneous gallbladder carcinoma.

METHODS

This 20-year, retrospective study evaluated the CT features of 26 patients with surgically proven gallbladder carcinoma with clinical presentations of acute cholecystitis (carcinoma group). Thirty elderly patients with surgically proven simple acute cholecystitis were enrolled as age-matched controls (cholecystitis group). The clinical, laboratory, and CT findings were compared between the 2 groups.

RESULTS

The carcinoma and cholecystitis groups showed no significant differences with respect to clinical symptoms (abdominal pain, fever, and jaundice), serum total bilirubin level, leukocyte count, percentage of segmented leukocytes, presence of gallstones, and CT features of pericholecystic stranding/fluid and focally increased enhancement of adjacent liver. Fifteen of the 26 (57.6%) patients in the carcinoma group exhibited diffuse gallbladder wall thickening on CT and the other 11 exhibited focal thickening or intraluminal masses. Beside female predominance, the patients in the carcinoma group had significantly higher serum aspartate/alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels, a thicker gallbladder wall, smaller volume, lower frequency of triple-layer gallbladder wall enhancement pattern, and a higher frequency of enlarged regional lymph nodes than those in the cholecystitis group.

CONCLUSION

For elderly patients, especially women, presenting with acute cholecystitis and abnormal liver function, CT demonstration of focal gallbladder wall thickening, intraluminal masses, small gallbladder with diffuse wall thickening, and enlarged regional lymph nodes are suggestive of concurrent gallbladder carcinoma. Triple-layer gallbladder wall enhancement is suggestive of simple acute cholecystitis.

Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage in patients with acute cholecystitis in whom percutaneous transhepatic approach is contraindicated or anatomically impossible (with video)

BACKGROUND

In patients with acute cholecystitis and at high risk for surgery, decompression of the gallbladder by percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) or aspiration (PTGBA) is needed as salvage therapy. However, we sometimes encounter patients in whom puncture cannot be performed for several reasons. Recently, endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETGD) has been reported to be safe and effective for acute cholecystitis.

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of ETGD for acute cholecystitis in which a percutaneous transhepatic approach is contraindicated or anatomically impossible.

DESIGN

Retrospective case study.

SETTING

This procedure was performed in Tokyo Medical University Hospital.

PATIENTS

Forty-three patients with acute cholecystitis, including 32 patients taking anticoagulation or antiplatelet drugs, 4 cases of Chilaiditi syndrome, 2 each of acute leukemia, marked ascites, and anatomic abnormality, and 1 case of hemophilia A.

INTERVENTION

All patients underwent ETGD. A 5F nasobiliary-drainage catheter was placed into the gallbladder. In case of failed ETGD, PTGBD or PTGBA was performed subsequently.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT

Efficacy and safety of this technique.

RESULTS

ETGD was achieved in 36 patients (84%) without any serious procedure-related complications. A clinically favorable response for ETGD was seen in 35 patients (97%). In 7 patients in whom ETGD was unsuccessful and 1 patient in which it was ineffective, a percutaneous transhepatic approach was performed with severe hemorrhage biloma in the former and uncontrolled hemorrhage cholecystitis, leading to death in the latter.

LIMITATIONS

Difficulty of maneuvering the guidewire and drainage tube into the gallbladder.

CONCLUSIONS

Although comparative studies are needed to define the appropriate role of ETGD and percutaneous transhepatic approach, ETGD can be useful in patients with acute cholecystitis in which a percutaneous transhepatic approach is contraindicated or anatomically impossible.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for early gallbladder carcinoma: long-term outcome in comparison with conventional open cholecystectomy

BACKGROUND

The role of laparoscopic surgery for malignant gallbladder tumors remains uncertain. This study compared the surgical results of laparoscopic versus conventional open cholecystectomy for patients with early-stage gallbladder carcinoma and examined the role of laparoscopic surgery for early gallbladder carcinomas.

METHODS

Data for the treatment of gallbladder carcinomas were gathered from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Linkou, Taiwan). A retrospective analysis of 40 patients with either stage 0 or stage 1 gallbladder carcinoma was performed. The patients were categorized into two groups on the basis of cholecystectomy procedures. The long-term outcomes for the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

During the follow-up period, which ranged from 6.5 to 197.6 months, four patients in the conventional open cholecystectomy group encountered tumor recurrence, and one patient in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group experienced distant tumor recurrence (p = 0.216). No local port-site tumor recurrence was identified in patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The overall 5-year survival rate in this series was 87.1%. A comparison of survival rates between the two groups demonstrated no significant difference (p = 0.340).

CONCLUSION

The laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure did not adversely influence the prognosis of patients with early-stage gallbladder carcinomas. Furthermore, meticulous removal of gallbladders during laparoscopic surgery, in which early gallbladder carcinoma can be managed successfully using laparoscopic cholecystectomy, achieved a satisfactory surgical result and a low port-site tumor recurrence rate.

Conversions during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: risk factors and effects on patient outcome

In view of the substantial, at times conflicting, literature on conversion to open surgery during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), we have considered it timely to review the subject to identify the risk factors for conversion and its consequences. The review is based on a complete literature search covering the period 1990 to 2005. The search identified 109 publications on the subject: 68 retrospective series, 16 prospective nonrandomized studies, 8 prospective randomized clinical trials, 5 prospective case-controlled studies, 5 reviews and 7 others (3 observational, 2 population-based studies, 1 national survey, and 1 editorial). As the majority of reported studies are retrospective, firm conclusions cannot be reached. Single factors that appear to be important include male gender, extreme old age, morbid obesity, cirrhosis, previous upper abdominal surgery, severe/advanced acute and chronic disease, and emergency LC. The combination of patient- and disease-related risk factors increases the conversion risk. In the training of residents, the number of cases needed for reaching proficiency exceeds 200 cases. The value of predictive scoring systems is important in the selection of cases for resident training. Conversion exerts adverse effects on operating time, postoperative morbidity, and hospital costs, especially when it is enforced. There appears to be no absolute contraindication to LC that is agreed upon by all. There is consensus on certain individual risk factors and their additive effect on the likelihood of conversion. Predictive systems based on these factors appear to be useful in selection of cases for resident training.

Gallbladder cancer presenting with acute cholecystitis: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

The role of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in acute cholecystitis remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence, clinicopathological characteristics, and outcome of patients with gallbladder cancer presenting with acute cholecystitis.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with gallbladder cancer who presented with acute cholecystitis and were treated at the public hospitals in Hong Kong between 1998 and 2002.

RESULTS

Among 2,700 patients with acute cholecystitis managed with cholecystectomy (1,347 open and 1,353 LC), 63 patients (2.3%) were found to have gallbladder cancer. There were 44 women and 19 men with a mean age of 74.7 (+/-12.8) years. Adenocarcinoma (90.5%) was the most common cancer. The overall median survival was 5 months (95% CI = 2.6-7.4). The 5-year survival rate was 20.8%. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was attempted in 11 patients and was completed successfully in six of them. There was no difference between the LC and open groups in the complication rate, hospital mortality rate, or survival rate.

CONCLUSIONS

In the ethnic Chinese population of Hong Kong, the incidence of gallbladder cancer presenting with acute cholecystitis is higher than the same finding in patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis. Long-term survival is possible because such patients may be diagnosed at an early stage of the disease.

Outcome of radical surgery for carcinoma of the gallbladder according to the tumor node metastasis and Japanese Society of Biliary Surgery stages

Primary carcinoma of the gallbladder is a progressive, lethal disease. Survival of patients with this neoplasm depends strictly on lymph node involvement and depth of tumor invasion. The aim of the study was to evaluate the results of our surgical series according to the tumor node metastasis and Japanese Society of Biliary Surgery classification systems. A retrospective analysis of our 15-year experience was performed. Of the 79 patients with gallbladder carcinoma observed at our institution between 1984 and 2001, a radical resection was carried out in 20 patients. Patients with stage I-II disease represent a minority of the cases of gallbladder carcinoma; the disease is localized in these patients, and surgical treatment provides the opportunity for good survival. Survival rates for patients with stage III-IV disease demonstrates that radical extended surgery offers the only chance for a relatively prolonged survival.

Gallbladder cancer

Gallbladder cancer often presents with advanced disease. When found early, surgery can be curative for this particular malignancy. Prognostic factors that influence the success of aggressive surgical therapy include depth of invasion, extent of hepatic infiltration, histologic grade, presence of venous, lymphatic or perineural invasion, and lymph node metastasis. Tumors with tumor limited to the subserosal layer, hepatic infiltration that is only 5 mm or less, papillary or well differentiated adenocarcinomas, tumors with no venous, lymphatic or perineural invasion and lymph node metastasis limited to the hepatoduodenal ligament have the best prognosis with surgery (15, 16, 36). Extended cholecystectomy with lymph node dissection has improved the results of treating T2 gallbladder cancers. More extensive resections should keep the above prognostic factors in mind. When surgical resection is not possible, endoscopic stenting of the biliary tree for palliation of obstructive jaundice is effective. Earlier detection or more effective chemotherapy will be needed to significantly improve the prognosis of this disease.

Biliary tract surgery

The use of the laparoscope in biliary tract surgery continues to play a major role in improving the operative management of patients with biliary diseases. Laparascopic cholecystectomy has been safely performed as a day-case procedure and has lowered the morbidity of cholecystectomy in the setting of acute cholecystitis. Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration allows cholecystectomy and the removal of common bile duct stones to be performed during the same procedure, thereby decreasing hospital stay. Several new noninvasive modalities have been recently developed to image the biliary tract. In addition, laparoscopic ultrasound has led to rapid intraoperative imaging of the extrahepatic biliary tree. The long-term results of laparoscopic bile duct injuries have been better defined during the past several years. Finally, the role of surgical resection for gallbladder cancer detected during or after laparoscopic cholecystectomy has recently been evaluated.