Gallbladder (GB) wall thickening is a frequent finding caused by a spectrum of conditions. It is observed in many extracholecystic as well as intrinsic GB conditions. GB wall thickening can either be diffuse or focal. Diffuse wall thickening is a secondary occurrence in both extrinsic and intrinsic pathologies of GB, whereas, focal wall thickening is mostly associated with intrinsic GB pathologies. In the absence of specific clinical features, accurate etiological diagnosis can be challenging. The survival rate in GB carcinoma (GBC) can be improved if it is diagnosed at an early stage, especially when the tumor is confined to the wall. The pattern of wall thickening in GBC is often confused with benign diseases, especially chronic cholecystitis, xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis, and adenomyomatosis. Early recognition and differentiation of these conditions can improve the prognosis. In this minireview, the authors describe the patterns of abnormalities on various imaging modalities (conventional as well as advanced) for the diagnosis of GB wall thickening. This paper also illustrates an algorithmic approach for the etiological diagnosis of GB wall thickening and suggests a formatted reporting for GB wall abnormalities.

No abstract

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) has a high incidence in certain geographical regions. Morphologically, GBC presents as a mass replacing the gallbladder, a polypoidal lesion, or wall thickening. The incidence of preoperative diagnosis of wall thickening type of GBC is less well studied. The patterns of mural involvement and extramural spread are not well described in the literature. Additionally, wall thickening in the gallbladder does not always indicate malignancy and can be secondary to inflammatory or benign gallbladder diseases and extracholecystic causes and systemic pathologies. Objective reporting of gallbladder wall thickening will help us appreciate GBC's early features. In this review, we illustrate the imaging patterns of wall thickening type of GBC.

No abstract

No abstract