CARCINOMA of the gallbladder is a rapidly progressive disease. Signs rarely occur until metastatic nodes located critically near the common bile duct have enlarged to sufficient degree to cause either partial or total common bile duct occlusion or papillary adenocarcinomatous projections have extended into the common duct and resulted in the same effects. In addition, because of the close proximity of the original lesion to the liver, involvement of that organ locally by direct extension is common. Final outcome is usually fatal unless diseased tissues are totally removed.
The files at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital on this condition have recently been reviewed. The following report represents a summary of these findings.
Incidence
From 1913 through 1965, 78 patients with primary carcinoma of the gallbladder were admitted to the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. All were proven diagnoses, either by operation with pathological diagnosis on excised tissue or by postmortem examination.