Primary carcinoma of the gallbladder associated with chronic inflammatory bowel disease

Patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease have an increased risk of developing carcinoma of the bile ducts. This risk is highest in those with a long history of colitis and total involvement of the colon. The majority of these biliary tract cancers involve the extrahepatic or intrahepatic bile ducts. Occasionally, however, the gallbladder is the site of origin of the tumour. We report three cases of primary carcinoma of the gallbladder complicating chronic inflammatory bowel disease. In two, there was universal chronic ulcerative colitis and in one, Crohn's ileocolitis.