title: Clinical, pathological and sonographic characteristics of unexpected gallbladder carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical, pathological, and sonographic characteristics of unexpected gallbladder carcinoma (UGC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 5424 patients who had undergone cholecystectomy from December 2006 to October 2013, 54 patients with primary gallbladder carcinomas confirmed by pathological diagnosis were identified. The patients were divided into two groups: diagnosed before operation (n=34) and UGC groups (n=20), of whom the clinical, pathological, and sonographic characteristics were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in age, gender, location of lesion, histological type, length of the gallbladder, existence of biliary sludge, and intestinal gas interference between the two groups were found (all P>0.05). The clinical symptoms, laboratory abnormalities, tumor markers, coexisting gallbladder stones, lesion size, lesion type, degree of differentiation, and tumor staging showed statistically significant differences between the two groups (all P<0.05). On ultrasound, the width of the gallbladder, gallbladder wall thickness, vascularity on color Doppler ultrasound, and bile volume in the gallbladder showed significant differences (all P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UGCs are commonly found at an early stage, often well-differentiated, wall thickened, and are generally accompanied with cholelithiasis. UGCs should be taken into consideration in cases with cholelithiasis or small gallbladder on ultrasound.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200072, China ; Department of Ultrasound, The Fourth People's Hospital of Qinghai Province Xi'ning 810000, Qinghai, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Huan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200072, China.
authors.forename: Bo-Ji
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200072, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Xiong
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200072, China.
authors.forename: Li-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200072, China.
authors.forename: Dan-Dan
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200072, China.
authors.forename: Le-Hang
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai 200072, China.
authors.forename: Lin-Na
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Guangdong Medical College Affiliated Hospital Zhanjiang 524001, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Xu
keywords: Unexpected gallbladder carcinoma; clinical characteristics; diagnosis; pathological characteristics; ultrasound