title: Percutaneous endoscopic polypectomy of gallbladder polyps.
abstract: We report here our preliminary experience with percutaneous endoscopic polypectomy of gallbladder polyps. Five patients with a total of 17 cholesterol polyps (size: 4-6 mm) and one patient with two gallbladder adenomas (size: 5 mm), four of whom were symptomatic and all of whom refused cholecystectomy, underwent a single-stage procedure under epidural anesthesia. All patients had functioning gallbladders, as assessed by oral cholecystography after stimulation. Following a small incision, the gallbladder was pulled out of the abdominal wall, incised, and a cholecystoscope introduced. The polyps were coagulated at their stalk using microwave irradiation (70-80 mA, 9 sec) and removed for histopathological evaluation thereafter. A catheter was left in situ for ten days. Follow-up for a mean of 11.6 months (8-16 months) showed all patients to be symptom-free and without recurrence of polyps on ultrasonography. Gallbladder function was assessed in five cases by meal-stimulated oral cholecystography, and in one by hepato-iminodiacetate acid (HIDA) scan and was found to be well preserved. The preliminary results warrant further evaluation of this method of removing indeterminate gallbladder polyps.
authors.affiliation: Departments of General and Biliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Railway Medical College, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Z L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: J Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: B Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002765:Cholecystography; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011127:Polyps / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014463:Ultrasonography