Primary carcinoma of the gallbladder: review of 25 cases

The records of 25 patients with carcinoma of the gallbladder occurring during a 5 year period were reviewed. The frequent relation of the disease with cholelithiasis and benign tumors has been widely recognized. Stones were present in the gallbladder in 92 per cent of the patients. In the majority of cases, a diagnosis of carcinoma of the gallbladder was not made clinically. The most common preoperative diagnosis was benign biliary tract disease. The mean survival time after operation was 7 months, and only five patients had a curative resection. The best hope for reducing the mortality from this disease lies in earlier cholecystectomy in patients with benign gallbladder disease.