[Gallbladder polyps: correlation between ultrasonographic and histopathological findings]

Gallbladder polyps are becoming a common finding. The management of these polyps is complicated considering that they can bear malignant lesions.

To analyze the ultrasonographic and histopathologic findings of patients operated due to gallbladder polyps.

The records of patients with ultrasonographic diagnosis of gallbladder polyp and that underwent cholecystectomy in a thirteen years period were reviewed, collecting their demographic, ultrasonographic and histopathological data.

One hundred and twenty three patients were operated. The mean age was 44+/-13 years, and 69% were women. The mean size of polyps in ultrasonography was 7.3+/-5 mm. Histopathology confirmed the presence of polyps in 79% of patients, with a mean size and number of lesions of 5.1+/-3.8 mm and 2.1+/-2, respectively. Nine percent of polyps were greater than 10 mm, and single polyps were significantly larger than the multiple ones (p =0.003). Four cases of adenoma (3.2%) were diagnosed; one of them had in situ carcinoma. All were single and larger than 10 mm. We found a significant correlation between ultrasonographic and histopathological polyp size determination (r =0.47; p =0.002). Polyp size was also a predictor of the presence of adenoma (p =0.043; confidence intervals: 1.006-1.424).

There is a good correlation between the size of the gallbladder polyp in ultrasonography and the size in the histopathology report. Gallbladder adenoma is uncommon and it correlates with the size of the polyp. In this series, size was the only predictor of the presence of adenoma.