CHOLECYSTITIS GLANDULARIS(Rokitansky‐Luschka‐Aschoff Sinuses) AND RELATED CONDITIONS

Summary epithelium‐lined spaces are found in the wall of the gall‐bladder and often in the sub‐peritoneal coat. these are of three distinct types which have different origins: (a) sinuses communicating with the lumen of the gall‐bladder; (b) ducts communicating with intra‐hepatic ducts but not with the gall‐bladder; (c) sub‐peritoneal glands of mesothelial origin. the sinuses (rokitansky‐aschoff sinuses or cholecystitis glandularis) have a wide field of macroscopic form ranging from those in which the organ is relatively normal and there are only a few crypts to various localized or diffuse thickenings of the wall. they are important because of various complications such as cyst formation and devdoprnent of intra‐mural calculi. rupture of sub‐peritoneal cysts may give rise to choleperitoneum. the ducts, commonly seen on the hepatic aspect of the organ, may occur in the sub‐peritoneal zone. they never communicate with the lumen of the gall‐bladder and they have a characteristic histological structure. the mesothelial glands also have a characteristically different histological structure and are of importance mainly in so far as they have to be distinguished from the others previously described.