[Faline]

Porcelain gallbladder is an uncommon manifestation of chronic cholecystitis, characterized by intramural calcification of the gallbladder wall. The term “porcelain gallbladder” is used to describe this dystrophic calcification of the gallbladder wall seen in this condition. The diagnosis is usually suggested by an abdominal x-ray revealing an incidental calcified lesion in the region of the gallbladder.

Here is a transverse section of the abdomen on CT imaging. To the left of the photo you can see the liver and this white glowing halo directly below it. That is the opacity of the calcification in the gallbladder wall.


Patients with a porcelain gallbladder are often asymptomatic, but are at increased risk for the development of gallbladder carcinoma, which has a poor prognosis. The incidence of gallbladder carcinoma in patients with porcelain gallbladder varies from 11 to 33 percent.

Here is what a porcelain gallbladder would look like, The serosal surface shows some adhesions, meaning the gallbladder was stuck to another internal surface, maybe ommental fat or to the anterior wall. Open rather than laparoscopic cholecystectomy is usually recommended in these patients because the gallbladder wall is very thick, fibrotic, and calcified, making it difficult to grab by forceps and dissect out.


In this photo you can see the cut surface of the wall. It is tan-yellow and completely calcified.


The inner lining or mucosa is focused more in this photo. Here you can see the mucosa is tan and hemorrhagic with a yellow- green exudate. Also to the left of this photo you can see a large calculus or gallbladder stone which is lodged within the gallbladder neck/cystic duct.


Porcelain gallbladder is associated with cholelithiasis (gallstones) in more than 95% of patients . It has been suggested that the gallbladder wall injury results from chronic irritation by gallstones. Some authors speculate that cystic duct obstruction leads to bile stagnation within the gallbladder followed by mucosal precipitation of calcium carbonate salts. Others regard calcification as the natural progression of chronic inflammation resulting in scarring, hyalinization, and deposition of lime salts.

[marinanicholls]

i have a friend who got this. she said it was the worst pain she's ever experienced (aside from her genital piercing)

[Rusty666]

damn

[LadyCPlum]

Blecccccch

[Jere]

ick

[Sharon]

Fascinating condition