DISCUSSION
Gallbladder cancer, although rare, has a high degree of malignancy and generally a poor prognosis, making it a significant health concern. The case you reported, where gallbladder cancer metastasized to the lungs and formed cavitary lesions, is certainly an unusual and complex one5-6. This case can contribute to the medical body of knowledge regarding the potential pathways and implications of gallbladder cancer metastasis. It also demonstrates the importance of thorough monitoring and aggressive management in patients diagnosed with this type of cancer.
Indeed, the development of cavitary lung lesions can be attributed to various conditions such as infections, vascular disorders, autoimmune diseases, and malignant tumors2. In the specific context of gallbladder cancer, these cavitary lesions may be a result of necrosis and liquefaction of metastatic tumors. Early detection and appropriate management of these lesions are essential as they can significantly affect the patient’s prognosis. This underlines the importance of a thorough clinical evaluation and follow-up in patients with gallbladder cancer, especially when metastasis is suspected7. Understanding the potential for this type of complication can help guide treatment decisions and possibly improve patient outcomes.
We propose utilizing a clinical-radiological algorithm approach for the differential diagnosis of cavitary lung lesions. This entails evaluating their imaging characteristics via CT and PET-CT, and then combining these results with the patient’s clinical symptoms and case features for diagnosis2,8. In the case we are discussing, the patient also had metastatic lesions in the liver and lymph nodes, a pattern that is consistent with the typical progression of gallbladder cancer metastasis5,9. Additionally, to confirm the nature and extent of these lesions, we performed a series of imaging examinations and biopsies10-11. However, though our findings align with previous studies, the exact mechanism of cavitary lung lesions caused by gallbladder cancer metastasis still remains unclear. Future studies are needed to further explore the mechanisms of gallbladder cancer metastasis and the formation of cavitary lesions12.