[Clinicopathological features of gallbladder polyps and adenomas]

Chile has a high frequency of gallbladder cancer. Polyps are common lesions of gallbladder mucosa but there is little information about their morphological features.

To report the clinical and pathological features of 219 gallbladder polyps.

Cholecystectomites samples in which a polypoid lesion was diagnosed microscopically. In all cases, complete clinical information and digitalized images of the complete surgical specimens was reviewed.

In a period of 10 years, 21,412 gall-bladders were processed. Among these, 884 carcinomas were diagnosed and in 219 cases (1%) a polyp was found. One hundred and eighty three patients were females (mean age 49.3 years) and 36 males (mean age 53.4 years). The preoperative diagnosis of gallbladder polyp wars done only in 26 cases (12%). Eighty five percent of polyps were non-neoplastic (metaplastic in 32%, cholesterol in 29%, hyperplastic in 22% and inflammatory in 2%). The remaining 15% were adenomas. Seventy five percent of non-neoplastic polyps were located in the proximal half of the gallbladder and 88% of adenomas in the distal half. Ninety five percent of non-neoplastic polyps measured less than 10 mm. Among adenomas, 47% measured less than 5 mm and 28% more than 10 mm. Smaller polyps were of cholesterol and larger polyps were adenomas. Eight adenomas were associated with an adenocarcinoma, two had less than 5 mm length. Mean age of patients with adenomas associated to cancer was higher than patients with pure adenomas (64.6 and 44.3 years respectively, p > 0.001).

There are size and location differences between non neoplastic polyps and adenomas. Adenomas associated to cancer may measure less than 5 mm. Therefore the polyp size criteria to decide surgical behavior in symptomatic gallstone patients may be misleading.