ABSTRACT
BACKGRAOUND/AIMS: The biologic nature of polypoid lesions of gallbladder is difficult to define before surgical intervention and operative indication is still controversial. The aim of this study is to provide surgical guideline for polypoid lesions of gallbladder. METHODS: Clinical data were retrospectively correlated with the histopathologic characteristics of polypoid lesions of gallbladder in 48 patients who had cholecystectomy from January 1992 to August 2002 in the Department of Surgery, Kang-nam General Hospital Public Corporation. RESULTS: There were 40 benign polypoid lesions including 30 cholesterol polyps, 5 adenomas, 4 inflammatory polyps and 1 adenomyomatous hyperplasia and 8 malignant polypoid lesions. Data analysis showed that neoplastic polypoid lesions of gallbladder correlated significantly with size and malignant polypoid lesions of gallbladder correlated significantly with size and age. CONCLUSION: The risk factor for neoplasm was the size of the polypoid lesions of gallblaldder (> or =10 mm) and the risk factors for malignancy were the size of the polypoid lesions of gallblaldder (> or =10 mm) and age (> or =50). Surgical intervention should be considered when a polypoid lesion of the gallbladder is larger than 10 mm and patient is older than 50 years.