| Abstract: | We report a 36–year-old female patient with small cell carcinoma of the gallbladder with liver metastasis, that was associated with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) without bile duct dilatation. On admission, a gallbladder mass and multiple liver tumors were detected by US, CT and ERCP. Moreover, ERCP clearly demonstrated an abnormally long common channel between the pancreatic and bile ducts, indicating PBMwithout choledochal dilatation. US-guided biopsy of the tumor histopathologically confirmed small cell carcinoma. The serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) level was very high. Transarterial chemo-embolization followed by systemic chemotherapy resulted in marked tumor reduction, but this was followed by rapid exacerbation. The patient died of the tumor 145 days after admission. The proposed mechanism of the car-cinogenesis of this rare gallbladder malignancy under the preexisting condition of PBM was discussed. (Dig Endosc 1999, 11: 246–249) |
