Herein is reported a case of
mucin-producing
carcinoma of the gallbladder in a 55-year-old Japanese woman. Although the patient's status and laboratory data initially suggested biliary
pancreatitis due to
gallstone, radiography and endoscopy confirmed the presence of
pancreaticobiliary maljunction and a gallbladder
tumor with excessive
mucin, in which the duodenal papilla and the common bile duct were impacted. Following surgery, the gallbladder
tumor was histopathologically diagnosed as a mixed endocrine-exocrine
carcinoma. The
carcinoma predominantly consisted of papillary, but also contained some tubular adenocarcinomatous components. Additionally, small foci of small cell and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomatous components were observed. There was no evidence of
lymph node metastasis, distant
metastasis, or direct invasion outside the gallbladder. Thus, the final classification of pT2N0M0 stage II was given to this lesion, according to the Union Internationale Contre le
Cancer guidelines. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the
carcinoma had not recurred in the absence of
chemoradiotherapy for a period of 20 months.
Mucin-producing gallbladder
carcinoma is a rare clinical condition that can occur in patients with
pancreaticobiliary maljunction. Detailed investigation of this condition is important to develop and refine effective therapeutic strategies.