Demographic and Clinicopathological Spectrum of Gallbladder Carcinoma in a Tertiary Care Centre in Jharkhand: A Retrospective Study.

ABSTRACT

Introduction Gallbladder carcinoma is a rare but aggressive cancer of adults that affects females more than males. Its occurrence is more common in the regions of South America and Asia. Chronic inflammation and cholelithiasis are frequently associated risk factors of gallbladder carcinoma. The incidental discovery of a gallbladder carcinoma during cholecystectomy, gross or microscopic examination of the unsuspected gallbladder specimens is termed incidental gallbladder carcinoma (IGBC). Considering the lack of extensive studies on gallbladder carcinoma in the Eastern region of India, especially in Jharkhand, this study has been done to present the demographic and clinicopathological characteristics of gallbladder carcinoma in this region. Methods A retrospective and descriptive study was done at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, a tertiary care center in Jharkhand. The study sample comprised 2386 gall bladder cases received in the Department of Pathology over five years, from December 2018 to December 2023. Results Of 2368 specimens, 25 cases (n=25) were reported as primary gallbladder carcinoma. The female-to-male ratio was 41. Pain was the most common complaint by the patients. Of the 25 cases, 12 were suspected intra-operatively or diagnosed microscopically (IGBC). Most showed a mass at the neck. In six cases, no gross mass/lesion was seen. Cholelithiasis is present in 19/25 cases. Most cases showed adenocarcinoma (not otherwise specified). Out of the adenocarcinoma cases, most were well differentiated. At the time of diagnosis, most were at the pT2 stage. Twelve cases of IGBC were found. Eight out of 12 IGBC were early-stage carcinoma when diagnosed. Conclusion Twenty-five cases of gallbladder carcinoma were diagnosed in the last five years in our center, with 19 (76%) of them associated with cholelithiasis. Twelve (48%) of the cases were incidentally diagnosed either preoperatively or during gross/microscopic examination, and eight (66%) of those were discovered early, out of which five (62.5%) were observed to be in the T1b stage. At this stage, there is a diversion from the general surgical management of gallbladder carcinoma for a better prognosis. This underscores the significance of routine histopathological examination of gallbladder specimens, even if there is no preoperative suspicion of gallbladder carcinoma.