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Small Cell Carcinoma of the Gallbladder Arising in a Patient with Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction without Bile Duct Dilatation
Author(s) -
SAITO Seiji,
ATARASHI Yoshinari,
WATANABE Akiharu,
KITAGAWA Masanobu
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
digestive endoscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.5
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1443-1661
pISSN - 0915-5635
DOI - 10.1111/j.1443-1661.1999.tb00011.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gallbladder , malignancy , gastroenterology , bile duct , carcinoma , metastasis , common bile duct , radiology , cancer
We report a 36–year‐old female patient with small cell carcinoma of the gallbladder with liver metastasis, that was associated with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) without bile duct dilatation. On admission, a gallbladder mass and multiple liver tumors were detected by US, CT and ERCP. Moreover, ERCP clearly demonstrated an abnormally long common channel between the pancreatic and bile ducts, indicating PBMwithout choledochal dilatation. US‐guided biopsy of the tumor histopathologically confirmed small cell carcinoma. The serum neuron‐specific enolase (NSE) level was very high. Transarterial chemo‐embolization followed by systemic chemotherapy resulted in marked tumor reduction, but this was followed by rapid exacerbation. The patient died of the tumor 145 days after admission. The proposed mechanism of the car‐cinogenesis of this rare gallbladder malignancy under the preexisting condition of PBM was discussed. (Dig Endosc 1999, 11: 246–249)