Discussion
Gallbladder cancer is a rare neoplasm of the gastrointestinal tract; however, it is the most common malignancy of the biliary tract. In 2018, GLOBOCAN reported high age-standardized incidence rate(ASIR) of gall bladder carcinoma in South Asia. Cholelithiasis is the most common risk factor for developing gallbladder cancer.(7) There is an approximately 10-fold higher risk of developing gallbladder cancer in patients with gallstones larger than 3 cm.(8)
As a high proportion of tumors is already advanced at the time of presentation, the prognosis of gall bladder carcinoma is generally extremely poor. This is reflected by the 5-year survival for all stages of gallbladder cancer which is about 5%.(9,10) Resection remains the only chance for a cure because chemotherapy and radiotherapy are ineffective as primary treatments. Various surgical options for treatment have evolved over the last 10 years such as procedures ranging from a simple cholecystectomy to a radical or extended cholecystectomy. They may include liver resections, from segmentectomies to right hepatectomies and trisectionectomy.
Pancreatic pseudocysts form usually after 4 weeks of initial insult and are commonly associated with acute pancreatitis or pancreatic trauma.(11) They may also occur in approximately 20%-40% of patients with chronic pancreatitis.(12)
Pancreatic pseudocyst may resolve spontaneously and thus can be managed conservatively by watchful monitoring.(13) Indications for decompression of pseudocyst are abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, superimposed infection, and gastric outlet or biliary tract obstruction.(14) Association of gallbladder carcinoma with pancreatic pseudocyst is rare. Only a few case studies have been reported of this association.