HISTOPATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS OF GALLBLADDER SPECIMENS AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN PESHAWAR; A TWO-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Abstract

Background: Pathologies related to the gallbladder have been known to increase in incidence throughout the years, ranging from the commonest, cholelithiasis, to other more rare forms like gallbladder cancer (GBC). We aimed to thoroughly scrutinize the resected gallbladder specimens via histopathology to know the axact pathologies.

Materials & Methods: This was a descriptive cross-section study carried out at the general surgery and histopathology units of Rehman Medical Institute (RMI) from September 2022 to December 2022 using a universal sampling technique. Data from June 2020 to June 2022 was extracted from RMI archives. All the patients admitted in the general surgery ward of RMI for cholecystectomies, open or laparoscopic, were included in the study regardless of their age, gender or ethnicity. Patients excluded from the study were those with the need for a concurrent surgical intervention. Data was collected using a performa. After the collection of data, it was analysed with SPSS version 22.

Results: A total of 878 cholecystectomies were carried out in the study duration. Out of the 878 cholecystectomies, 259 (29.5%) were males while 619 (70.5%) were females. The male to female ratio being 1:2.39. Most of the procedures were Laparoscopic Cholecystectomies (87.7%). The most common diagnosis was accounting for almost half of the diagnosis was Chronic Cholecystitis (49.5%). The least common diagnosis were Autolytic changes, cholesterol polyps and Acute on Chronic Cholecystitis with Cholesterolosis with 0.11% each.

Conclusion: Assessment of cholecystectomy specimens albiet pave a path for the exact diagnosis however, it should not be routinely done and only specimens that appear to have a cancerous element to it should be sent for histopathological analysis. The workload on pathology departments will be decreased and the cost can be kept low as well.