title: Gallbladder cancer and liver transplantation.
abstract: Gallbladder cancer is the fifth most common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract. Gallbladder cancer is found incidentally at the time of cholecystectomy in 0.35% of patients. Two previous isolated case reports of incidentally found gallbladder cancer in hepatectomy specimens following liver transplantation (LT) showed no adverse outcomes. We reviewed the outcome of four patients. Three patients had end-stage liver disease secondary to primary sclerosing cholangitis and one patient had cryptogenic cirrhosis. Gallbladder cancer was removed at cholecystectomy in one patient 11 months prior to transplant. One patient had suspected gallbladder cancer prior to LT by ultrasound and CT imaging, as well as a rising CA 19-9. The other two patients had incidentally identified gallbladder cancer. Median follow-up was 30 months. There has been no evidence of recurrence and patient survival was 100%. Early gallbladder cancer is not a contraindication for LT, however further follow-up is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplantation, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Christopher B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bonatti
authors.forename: Denise M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Harnois
authors.forename: Justin H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Rolland C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Spivey
authors.forename: Jeffery L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Steers
mesh_terms: D000075202:Contraindications; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography