Seeding from early stage gallbladder carcinoma after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

In the last years laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the "gold standard therapy" in the treatment of symptomatic cholelitiasis, but it is necessary to keep into account some problems and risks that can arise from laparoscopic technique. One of these risks is represented surely by the disregarding of a gallbladder carcinoma. The authors report a case of peritoneal seeding of an unsuspected gallbladder carcinoma following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The first histologic diagnosis was chronic ulcerous cholecystitis with adenomiosis but 2 months later the metastasis developed at the umbilical port site, at another port site and to the right lobe of the liver. Another histological sampling of the gallbladder specimen was performed and this time a little intra mucous gallbladder adenocarcinoma was found (T1 stage). While the most part of literature data concern advanced stage of the disease at the time of operation (T2, T3) only few reports regard early stage neoplasm. Therefore this risk is present not only in advanced stages of gallbladder carcinoma but even in cases of early stage cancers. After a laparoscopic cholecystectomy all specimen should be opened and inspected. If there is a gallbladder wall irregularity and if there was a bile spillage it is advisable to perform a preoperative histologic examination.     

Gallbladder carcinoma late metastases and incisional hernia at umbilical port site after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

A potentially serious complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the inadvertent dissemination of unsuspected gallbladder carcinoma. There are increasing reports of seeding of tumor at the trocar sites following laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with unexpected or inapparent gallbladder carcinoma. Although the mechanism of the abdominal wall recurrence is still unclear, laparoscopic handling of the tumor, perforation of the gallbladder, and extraction of the specimen without an endobag may be risk factors for the spreading of malignant cells. The Authors report the case of late development of umbilical metastasis after laparoscopic cholecystectomy; the presence of an incisional hernia and the finding of a stone in subcutaneous tissue demonstrate the diffusion of tumor cells into subcutaneous tissue during the extraction of gallbladder. The patient underwent an excision of the metastases. She is disease free two years after surgical treatment.     

Radical Second Resection Provides Survival Benefit for Patients with T2 Gallbladder Carcinoma First Discovered after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Port site recurrence or peritoneal seeding is a fatal complication following laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder carcinoma. The aims of this retrospective analysis were to determine the association of gallbladder perforation during laparoscopic cholecystectomy with port site/peritoneal recurrence and to determine the role of radical second resection in the management of gallbladder carcinoma first diagnosed after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A total of 28 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder carcinoma were analyzed, of whom 10 had a radical second resection. Five patients had recurrences; port site/peritoneum recurrence in 3 and distant metastasis in 2. The incidence of port site/peritoneal recurrence was higher in patients with gallbladder perforation (3/7, 43%) than in those without (0/21, 0%) (p = 0.011). The outcome after laparoscopic cholecystectomy was worse in 7 patients with gallbladder perforation (cumulative 5-year survival of 43%) than in those without (cumulative 5-year survival of 100%) (p <0.001). Among 13 patients with a pT2 tumor, the outcome after radical second resection (cumulative 5-year survival of 100%) was better than that after laparoscopic cholecystectomy alone (cumulative 5-year survival of 50%) (p = 0.039), although there was no survival benefit of radical second resection in the 15 patients with a pT1 tumor (p = 0.65). In conclusion, gallbladder perforation during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is associated with port site/peritoneal recurrence and worse patient survival. Radical second resection may be beneficial for patients with pT2 gallbladder carcinoma first discovered after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.     

Port site recurrence of unexpected gallbladder carcinoma after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Report of a case

Unexpected gallbladder carcinoma was identified in a 71-year-old woman after she underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for symptomatic cholelithiasis. A subsequent laparotomy for a resection of the liver bed and a dissection of the lymph nodes around the hepatoduodenal ligament was done. Two and a half years later, the patient developed subcutaneous metastasis at the epigastric trocar site through which the gallbladder was removed. A third operation was thus performed, revealing no evidence of peritoneal dissemination, liver metastasis, or lymph node metastasis, and the abdominal wall mass was resected. The histological findings confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma of the gallbladder. We recommend that when planning LC, the possibility of malignancy should thus be kept in mind. However, if there is any sign which does not completely exclude malignancy, such as a contracture or wall thickness of the gallbladder, LC should be performed by the abdominal wall lifting method and using a protective bag for the removal of the gallbladder.     

意外发现的早期胆囊癌的诊断与处理

目的探讨意外发现的胆囊癌早期诊断与处理。方法回顾性总结1993年1月至2003年7月我院收治的64例胆囊癌属意外发现的早期胆囊癌的诊治经验。结果9例属手术意外发现,开腹手术7例,腹腔镜胆囊切除2例。术中快速冰冻切片或术后病理切片均证实为早期胆囊癌(NevinⅡ期)。7例于术中施行了标准的根治术,2例术后确诊再行根治。结论早期胆囊癌术前诊断困难,术中对可疑者做快速冰冻切片检查有助于意外发现早期胆囊癌;一旦确诊即予施行根治术。     

An unusual case of port site metastasis after laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a renal transplant patient: a case report

Port site metastasis after laparoscopy is a rarely seen intraabdominal malignancy independent of tumor stage. We present an unusual case of port site adenocarcinoma metastasis from unknown origin following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A 52-year-old woman with a previous renal transplant underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis. Six months later, she was admitted to the hospital with a complaint of a mass at the four trocar sites. A biopsy from the port sites led to the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma metastasis. Port site metastasis after laparoscopic cholecystectomy is seen especially after gallbladder cancer, and less frequently after intraabdominal malignancy independent of tumor stage. Our patient illustrated that port site metastasis probably spread from an undetected cancer site of an early stage intraabdominal tumor. Immunosuppression may have increased the likelihood of tumor seeding at the port sites.     

Gallbladder carcinoma during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: is it associated with bad prognosis?

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice for gallstone disease. The ultrasonogram has failed for the early detection of gallbladder cancer, especially if inflammation (chronic or acute) is present. Incidental gallbladder could be an important cancer finding during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, due to the potential cancer cell dissemination during the procedure. In our Department, 6500 laparoscopic cholecystectomies have been performed in the last 5 years and in 15 cases (0.23%) gallbladder cancer was found during surgery or after histological examination of the resected gallbladder. In none of these 15 patients was pre-operative diagnosis of gallbladder carcinoma postulated. When re-evaluation of the pre-operative ultrasonograms was done, it was possible to observe signs suggesting the presence of neoplastic infiltration in 4 of them (28.6%). During videoscopic exploration, also in 4 patients, the suspicion of gallbladder cancer was noted. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was completed in 9 patients. In 2 of them, in situ or mucosal invasion was demonstrated with a long survival. One patient presented recurrence at the biliary hilum 2,5 years after surgery. Six patients were re-operated and in 4 of them peritoneal or port site metastasis was found; all died early (4.5 month median survival). The other 2 patients were submitted to liver bed resection and lymph node dissection. These patients are free of cancer recurrence after 15 months of follow-up. Six patients were converted to open surgery, performing palliative procedures and died before the 12 month follow-up. The suspicion of pre-operative gallbladder cancer is generally unlikely to be confirmed based on ultrasonographic signs; but, in some cases with high suspicion, further investigation (TAC, tumor markers, etc.) must be indicated in order to avoid poor results. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy could be associated with bad prognosis, and then, when gallbladder cancer is suspected during the laparoscopic procedure, conversion to open surgery could be the best choice.     

Trocar-site metastasis following laparoscopic cholecystectomy for unsuspected carcinoma of the gallbladder

Fifteen cases of trocar-size metastasis from unsuspected gallbladder carcinoma following laparoscopic cholecystectomy have been reported in the literature. We present the case of a 66-year-old woman who developed this complication 2 1/2 months postoperatively. We feel that carcinoma of the gallbladder is a contraindication to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. When unsuspected lesions are discovered, intraoperative frozen-section lesions will facilitate the surgical management.     

Incidental gallbladder cancer at laparoscopy: a review of two cases

Early peritoneal seeding and trocar site metastasis from gallbladder cancer have been reported after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Nevertheless, the role of laparoscopy in gallbladder cancer remains controversial. Two cases of early recurrence of carcinoma of the gallbladder after laparoscopic cholecystectomy are described. In the first case, the use of a gasless technique did not prevent an early, diffuse peritoneal dissemination of the disease. In the second case, despite the use of a retrieval bag to extract the gallbladder, multiple metastases around the gallbladder bed and local peritoneal seeding developed. These cases demonstrate that factors other than bile spillage, CO2 inflation, and the use of a retrieval bag are responsible for early dissemination of gallbladder cancer.     

Multiple port-site metastasis of incidental gallbladder carcinoma after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a surgical procedure of choice for benign gallbladder diseases. In about 1-2% of cases histopathological examination demonstrate incidental gallbladder cancer (GBCA). We report a case of a 61 year old woman who developed port site metastases after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder. Metastases appeared on all four port sites. Review of literature regarding incidental GBCA an port site metastases was also performed. We conclude that the retrieval bag should be routinely used in laparoscopic cholecystectomy; the procedure should be performed with minimal trauma; in cases of incidental GB carcinoma, full thickness excision of the abdominal wall of the port sites demands additional studies; additional liver bed excision and local lymphadenectomy for T1b carcinoma are yet to be considered.     

Port site recurrences after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Port site metastasis is a well-documented event after laparoscopic procedures in cancer patients. We summarize current epidemiological knowledge about the risk of this complication after laparoscopic/conventional cholecystectomy in patients with unexpected gallbladder cancer as well as other intraabdominal malignancies. We found 174 cases of port site metastasis after laparoscopic cholecystectomy and 12 recurrences in the surgical scar after converted or open cholecystectomy. A review of all case reports and its comparison with four international surveys show a 14% incidence of port site metastases 7 months after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cancer. Similar numbers are available for open cholecystectomy. Our data suggest that abdominal wall metastases of gallbladder cancer are not a specific complication of laparoscopy. The long-term prognosis of patients with unknown gallbladder cancer however seems to be worsened by laparoscopy. The registry of the German Society of Surgery, which prospectively compares follow-up and prognosis of all cases of cholecystectomy, laparoscopic as well as open, in patients with incidental gallbladder cancer will definitively clarify whether laparoscopy affects the prognosis of patients with unsuspected gallbladder cancer. Received: February 13, 2001 / Accepted: August 1, 2001     

Unsuspected gallbladder carcinoma--the CAE-S/CAMIC registry

INTRODUCTION: Results of earlier surveys raised the prospect that laparoscopic surgical procedures may specifically increase the risk of port wound metastasis and generally of tumour cell seeding if at the time of operation an unsuspected gallbladder cancer existed. Other observations lead to presume that laparoscopic technique could deteriorate the prognosis of gallbladder cancer. These assumptions are going to be verified by the CAES/ CAMIC-registry. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The Workgroup Surgical Endoscopy (CAE) of the German Society of Surgery has started 1997 a registry of all cases of cholecystectomy--laparoscopic as well open--with a postoperative incidental finding of a gallbladder carcinoma. The aim of our registry is to compare the prospectively collected follow up data on the outcome of these patients and to answer the question whether laparoscopic cholecystectomy affects the course and the prognosis of patients with unsuspected gallbladder cancer. RESULTS: Until now 142 cases of incidental gallbladder cancer following laparoscopic and 79 cases following open cholecystectomy as well as 24 cases after intraoperative conversion to the open procedure have been recorded. The median follow up runs up to 27 (1-69) months. Following laparoscopic primary procedure we registered 10 port site metastases (7 %), following open primary procedure 4 (5.1 %) wound recurrences. The total recurrence rate at the moment is about 27 % after laparoscopic treatment and 31 % for conventionally operated patients. 70 of the 245 patients underwent a second radical procedure after diagnosis of gallbladder carcinoma. A postoperative combined radio- and chemotherapy was undertaken in 4 cases, a chemotherapy alone in 14 cases. 64 patients already died due to the underlining disease. DISCUSSION: At the present, after a median follow up of 27 months, the incidence of abdominal wall recurrences is very similar following laparoscopic and conventional procedure (7 % vs. 5.1 %). The total incidence of recurrences is at the moment slightly higher following open cholecystectomy (31 % vs. 27 %). The access technique, open or laparoscopic, doesn't seem to influence the prognosis of unsuspected gallbladder carcinoma. Until now we could not find disadvantages for the laparoscopically operated group.     

Hepatic metastasis after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for polypoid gallbladder cancer followed by radical surgery

While laparoscopic cholecystectomy is being increasingly performed on patients with gallbladder disease, this approach in cases of polypoid lesions in the gallbladder may not always be justified. We report here a case of early development of intrahepatic metastasis after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for polypoid gallbladder cancer; wedge resection of the gallbladder bed and dissection of regional lymph nodes had to be done. When a malignancy of the gallbladder is suspected during preoperative examinations, open cholecystectomy should be done.     

意外胆囊癌的外科处理

随着腹腔镜技术的普及,腹腔镜胆囊切除术中、术后发现的意外胆囊癌逐渐增多。高龄、结石病史等胆囊癌高危因素与意外胆囊癌相关;术中操作、人工气腹等原因可导致肿瘤的种植转移。胆囊癌外科治疗的关键在于早期发现,不同分期的胆囊癌应采用不同的手术方式,肿瘤的分期是最重要的预后因素。     

How to proceed in patients with carcinoma detected after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Carcinoma of the gallbladder is a rare disease. Gallbladder carcinoma is detected in less than 1% of all gallstone operations. With the introduction of laparoscopic surgery and the higher acceptance of this technique, gallbladders are now removed much earlier than they used to be. With the increase of cholecystectomies, the diagnosis of unexpected gallbladder carcinoma became more frequent. We report on how to proceed in patients with a diagnosis of gallbladder carcinoma and discuss the additional problems that have arisen since laparoscopic cholecystectomy became established. From June 1990 to December 1999, we performed 6230 cholecystectomies in the surgical department of Moabit Hospital in Berlin. Of these, 42 (0.6%) were identified as carcinoma. There were 37 women and five men, and the mean age was 69 years. In 16 patients (39%), there was a preoperative suspicion of malignancy. In 26 patients (61%), malignancy was suspected intraoperatively or diagnosed postoperatively after pathologic examination of the resected gallbladder. In these patients, an open repeat operation was necessary in seven cases to achieve an adequate curative resection and staging. This involved additional liver bed resection and lymph node dissection of the hepatoduodenal ligament. Abdominal wall (port site) recurrence in the absence of distant metastasis was present only in two patients. We recommend removal using a bag in all gallbladders with wall thickening, irregularities, or scleroatrophic calcified gallbladder area. In stage Tis or T1, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is sufficient. In stage T2 and T3, we perform a repeat operation with liver bed resection and lymphadenectomy.     

Abdominal malignancies missed during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

BACKGROUND: We present our experience with intra-abdominal malignancies different from gallbladder cancer not diagnosed preoperatively and undiscovered during laparoscopic cholecystectomy METHODS: This study involved retrospective analysis of 10 patients hospitalized in the Second Department of General Surgery between 1993 and 2000. In all of them, laparoscopic cholecystectomy had been performed between one week and 21 months earlier. RESULTS: Primary or metastatic neoplasms were diagnosed in five men and five women patients ages 38 to 79 years. In three patients with colorectal cancer, a radical resection was possible. Nonresectable pancreatic cancer was found in three patients. In one of two patients with gastric cancer, palliative, distal gastrectomy was performed. In a patient who had small bowel cancer with metastasis to the ovary, a radical operation was possible. In one patient, liver metastasis from lung cancer was found. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with atypical symptoms of gallbladder lithiasis, a thorough workup before laparoscopic cholecystectomy should be performed. During the laparoscopic procedure, a detailed examination of the whole peritoneal cavity is essential. In cases of prolonged convalescence after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a source of symptoms different from cholelithiasis should be suspected.     

Postoperatively detected gallbladder carcinoma. Follow-up or reoperation?

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma is generally poor. The 5-year survival rate amounts to less than 5% in most series due to the high proportion of advanced stages at the time of diagnosis. Early stages are commonly found only with histological work-up after cholecystectomy (CCE). In these cases the question arises whether or not reoperation for completion resection would be indicated. PATIENTS/METHODS: A retrospective analysis examined all patients of the Clinic of Surgery (Charité) in Berlin with gallbladder carcinoma operated on between January 1981 and August 1993. A literature search was carried out using the MEDLINE retrieval system for the key words "gallbladder carcinoma", "surgical therapy", and "reoperation" limited to the period after 1970. RESULTS: The retrospective results of the own clinic and the analysis of the literature review demonstrate significantly higher survival rates after reoperation compared to CCE alone and observation for all cases of gallbladder carcinoma with stages T1b or higher stages. The extended radical CCE can be performed with low morbidity. With preceding laparoscopic CCE the trocar sites have to be completely excised. DISCUSSION: To avoid the situation of postoperative diagnosis of gallbladder carcinoma, the surgeon should intraoperatively during CCE perform a careful macroscopic control of the gallbladder. Suspect findings should be followed intraoperatively by histological examination. Nevertheless, local spread of GBCa and distribution of lymphatic metastases can certainly not be assessed completely after simple CCE. Based on the published results and because of low morbidity reoperation is indicated for most cases of GBCa when diagnosed postoperatively.     

A case report of wound site seeding following cholecystectomy for dysplastic gallbladder

Wound site metastasis following cholecystectomy is an uncommon but well recognised complication following laparoscopic surgery for unsuspected gallbladder carcinoma. We describe a case of implantation of dysplastic cells with subsequent malignant transformation at the incision site 3 years post-cholecystectomy for an inflamed gallbladder. Histopathological examination of this tumour confirmed adenocarcinoma of pancreatobiliary origin, possibly secondary to gallbladder cells implantation and subsequent carcinomatous change.Unlike previously reported cases, the present case has two unique features: Firstly, the histology of the resected gallbladder at the initial operation was that of a low-grade dysplasia and not carcinoma; and secondly, there was a long interval between initial surgery and subsequent development of the wound site tumour. This case highlights that careful handling of the specimen tissue intraoperatively is paramount as cells implanted in the wound site can survive and undergo malignant transformation. All new masses occurring along the surgical wound site should be followed up and investigated to exclude implanted tumours.     

Open versus laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder carcinoma

Laparoscopic surgery has replaced conventional open cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder disease. A major concern is how to handle gallbladder cancer in the laparoscopic era, since there are numerous case reports of port site metastases from gallbladder cancer after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There are also many experimental studies favoring the opinion that the laparoscopic technique implies a higher risk of spreading malignant disease. This opinion has gained wide acceptance despite little previous clinical effort to determine the risk of tumor dissemination and the lack of comparisons between open and laparoscopic surgery. This report is a short summary of our own studies and present knowledge with special respect to the clinical aspects of the development and incidence of abdominal wall metastases. Among 270 patients with verified gallbladder carcinoma in whom 210 had open surgery and 60 a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 12 patients (6.5%) in the open cholecystectomy group and 9 (15%) in the laparoscopic group developed incisional metastases. Although the sparse clinical documentation does not unavoidably mean that laparoscopic cholecystectomy has an increased risk of disseminating tumor cells, we recommend open surgery in cases of known or suspected gallbladder carcinoma. Received: January 9, 2001 / Accepted: August 1, 2001     

Port site metastases from gallbladder cancer after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Results of a Swedish survey and review of published reports.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of port site metastases from unsuspected gallbladder cancer after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. DESIGN: Retrospective national multicentre study, 1991-94. SETTING: All 8 university and 24 central hospital, Sweden. SUBJECTS AND INTERVENTIONS: All 32 hospitals were interviewed by means of a written questionnaire. The registers of all Swedish Oncological Centres and the registers of the National Board of Health and Welfare were checked for reported cases of gallbladder cancer and surgical classification codes for cholecystectomy. To detect laparoscopic interventions incorrectly registered as open operations, all cholecystectomies registered as open were matched against the Swedish Registry of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for the years 1991-93 and all patients records for 1994 were scrutinised. RESULTS: Replies were obtained from 30/32 clinics (94%) and 11976 laparoscopic cholecystectomies were done. Of 447 patients with verified gallbladder carcinoma 270 had their gallbladders removed, 55 (20%) laparoscopically. 9 of these (16%) developed port site metastases and 6 died from their disease at a median of 18 months (range 5-22). Two patients are alive, 54 and 45 months after cholecystectomy. One patient has been lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Port site metastases from gallbladder cancer may be more common than previously thought. A laparoscopic procedure should not be done if cancer of the gallbladder is suspected.