Role of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in diagnosis and staging of gall bladder carcinoma

BackgroundCarcinoma of the gall bladder is the fifth most common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract after colorectal, pancreatic, gastric and esophageal carcinomas.Aim of the workTo study the role of multidetector computed tomography in the diagnosis and staging of gall bladder carcinoma.Subjects and methodsThis study included twenty-five patients presented to us during the period from June 2011 till May 2012 and were diagnosed radiologically by multidetector computed tomography as carcinoma of the gall bladder and the diagnosis was confirmed histopathologically. All the patients were subjected to ultrasonography followed by multidetector computed tomographic imaging using triphasic examination technique.ResultsAmong the twenty-five patients included in this study there were fifteen females and ten males. Their ages ranged from 50 to 70 years old (average 60 years). All the patients were radiologically diagnosed as gall bladder carcinoma based on the multidetector computed tomographic findings. Infiltrating masses were detected in fifteen patients (60%), Intraluminal polypoidal masses were detected in nine patients (36%) while one patient (4%) presented with mural thickening of the gall bladder wall.ConclusionWe conclude that multidetector CT is the diagnostic tool of choice in the detection and staging of gall bladder carcinoma.