A case of acute pancreatitis caused by exfoliated cancer cells derived from gallbladder carcinomas

• Published in: Tando Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 135 - 142
• Main Authors: ITOKAWA, Fumihide, ITOI, Takao, NAKAMURA, Kazuto, SOFUNI, Atsushi, MORIYASU, Fuminori, KAWAI, Takashi, OZAWA, Takashi, MIMURO, Akihiro, AOKI, Tatstuya, TSUCHIDA, Akihiko, SERIZAWA, Hiromi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Biliary Association 2003
• Subjects: acute pancreatitis; gallbladder carcinomas
• ISSN: 0914-0077; 1883-6879
• DOI: 10.11210/tando1987.17.2_135

An 80-year-old female who had a chief complaint of upper abdominal discomfort, was admitted to our hospital with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and gallbladder tumor. ERCP was revealed small tumor-like defects in the lower bile duct without pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM). Several other imagings showed double polypoid-typed and advanced gallbladder carcinomas. Although the patient had high risk factors for operation because of age and heart disease, simple cholecystectomy was performed since we thought that acute pancreatitis was caused by exfoliated cancer cells derived from gallbladder carcinomas. Macroscopically, two polypoid lesio ns and many exfoliated cancer cells in bile, were seen in gallbladder. Histological examination showed papillary-infiltrated and nodular-infiltrated advanced gallbladder carcinomas. Interestingly, almost gallbladder mucosa showed atypical epithelium to carcinomain situlike PBM. Moreover those of lesion showed K-rascodon 12 mutations. Therefore, although amylase in bile was not examined, these results suggested it might be impossible that somewhat pathological findings similar to PBM were existed in the present case.