A retrospective study of post-operative gall bladder pathology with special reference to incidental carcinoma of the gall bladder.

Background: Surgical removal of gall bladder for its diseases is common. However, not much is known about the incidence of incidental carcinoma in such patients in our population. Objective of current study was to analyze the different pathological entities of post-operative gall bladder specimen with particular emphasis on incidental carcinoma. Methods: This retrospective study was carried out at a multi-specialty hospital in eastern India from the pathology records for the period from August 2005 to July 2008. The records were analyzed for gender, age group distribution, and pathological types with different histology. Results: Out of 863 records, chronic cholecystitis 51.2% was the most common histology and malignancy was seen in 2.7% (23/863) both pre-operative and post-operative diagnosis. In the neoplastic group incidental carcinoma was diagnosed in 1.9% (17/23) of cases Conclusion: Histopathological examination of gallbladder specimen helps to identify non-neoplastic conditions with its complications and also, for the detection of incidental carcinoma. Thorough sampling of all gallbladder specimens is a must to detect focal neoplastic changes.

Clinicopathologic Features and Treatment Outcomes in Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma Patients with Concurrent Graves' Disease

The clinical behaviors and treatment outcomes of thyroid carcinomas in patients with Graves' disease is a matter of controversy. This study aimed to identify the clinicopathologic features, treatment outcome, and the indicators for predicting recurrence, and to suggest the optimal extent of surgery in these patients. We retrospectively analyzed data of 58 patients who underwent surgical treatment for differentiated thyroid cancer and concurrent Graves' disease. The follow-up period ranged from 23 to 260 months (mean+/-standard devuation, 116.8+/-54.0). In our series, the mean age was 40.8+/-12.7 yr (range, 15-70), with a male-to-female ratio of 1: 6.25. The mean tumor size was 13+/-9 mm (range, 3-62). The surgical methods included 19 cases of total thyroidectomy, 38 cases of subtotal thyroidectomy, and 1 case of completion total thyroidectomy. Locoregional recurrence occurred in four patients (6.9%). The 10-yr overall survival and disease-free survival of patients were 95.8% and 91.1%, respectively. Age over 45 yr (p=0.031), tumor size over 10 mm (p=0.049), multiplicity (p=0.007), extracapsular invasion (p=0.021), and clinical cancer (p=0.035) were significantly more prevalent in patients with locoregional recurrence than in those without recurrence. We recommend that Graves' disease patients should undergo regular ultrasonography screening for early detection of thyroid carcinoma. We also suggest that the choice of extent of surgery should depend on the diagnostic timing (clinical or incidental) and factors for predicting recurrence.