Gallbladder Metastasis from Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gastroenterology
• Radiology

Background:

• Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a common malignancy, but metastasis to the gallbladder is exceptionally rare.
• Gallbladder tumors can be asymptomatic and discovered incidentally during follow-up imaging for primary cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a rare case of gallbladder metastasis from RCC.
• To highlight characteristic imaging findings that may aid in preoperative diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• A 68-year-old male patient with a history of RCC presented with a gallbladder tumor found on computed tomography (CT).
• Diagnostic imaging included enhanced CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) with color Doppler.
• The patient underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for definitive diagnosis and treatment.

Main Results:

• Enhanced CT and MRI revealed an enhancing polypoid mass within the gallbladder lumen.
• EUS showed a homogenous hypo-echoic polypoid lesion with an intact outer hyper-echoic layer of the adjacent wall.
• Color Doppler EUS identified blood flow signals at the wall side of the mass.
• Histopathology confirmed the gallbladder mass as a metastasis of RCC, primarily growing into the gallbladder cavity.

Conclusions:

• Gallbladder metastasis from RCC is a rare clinical entity.
• Characteristic imaging features observed in this case, including CT, MRI, and EUS findings, can assist in the preoperative diagnosis of such metastases.
• Early recognition and diagnosis are crucial for appropriate patient management.