Differential diagnosis of gallbladder wall thickening by two-phase spiral CT: gallbladder carcinoma vs cholecystitis

초록

The purpose of this study was to know the possibility of differential diagnosis between gallbladder carcinoma (GB Ca) and cholecystitis by analysis of two phase spiral CT features. We reviewed 66 cases of two phase spiral CT from patients with pathologically proven GB Ca (n=35) and cholecystitis (n=31), retrospectively. We analyzed two phase spiral CT with an attention to wall thickness, dilatation of intrahepatic ducts, and other associated findings. Mean wall thickness was thicker in GB Ca group than cholecystitis group with statistical significance (P<0.05). The common enhancement patterns of GB Ca on arterial and venous phase were different from those of cholecystitis. Findings of intrahepatic mass formation by direct invasion, lymph node enlargement, and metastasis to other organs showed only in cases of GB Ca. Dilatation of intrahepatic ducts was more frequently presented in cases of GB Ca than cholecystitis. We will illustrate the characteristic two phase spiral CT features of GB Ca and cholecystitis. We will also discuss the various differential points between GB Ca and cholecystitis.