Gallbladder Case Study

Choice “C” is the best answer. This patient has findings characteristic of porcelain gallbladder, brought on by recurrent gallstone formation and gallbladder wall irritation (i.e. chronic cholecystitis). As with gallstone disease in general, this condition occurs predominantly in overweight fertile female patients of middle age. It is a complication of chronic cholecystitis identified by imaging. Inflammatory scarring of the wall, combined with dystrophic calcification within the wall transforms the gallbladder into a hard, rigid vessel (i.e. like the porcelain of china). Porcelain gallbladder is associated with gallbladder cancer, but the precise nature of the association is uncertain. The symptoms of gallbladder cancer overlap with the symptoms of gallstones and biliary colic. Abdominal pain may be of a more diffuse and persistent nature than the classic right upper quadrant pain of gallstone disease. Jaundice, anorexia, and weight loss often indicate more advanced disease. Gallbladder adenocarcinoma is difficult to detect and diagnose. Signs and symptoms are not usually seen in the early stages of disease and often overlap with the …show more content…
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver and occurs predominantly in patients with underlying chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. Patients who develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) usually have no symptoms other than those related to their chronic liver disease. Suspicion for HCC should be heightened in patients with previously compensated cirrhosis who develop de-compensation such as ascites, encephalopathy, jaundice, or variceal bleeding. These complications are often associated with extension of the tumor into the hepatic or portal veins or arteriovenous shunting induced by the tumor. Some patients may have mild to moderate upper abdominal pain, weight loss, early satiety, or a palpable mass in the upper abdomen. These symptoms often indicate an advanced