Carcinosarcoma of the gallbladder with chondroid differentiation

J Gastroenterol. 2002;37(11):966-71. doi: 10.1007/s005350200162.

Abstract

Carcinosarcoma of the gallbladder is an uncommon neoplasm. We herein report the case of a patient with carcinosarcoma of the gallbladder with chondroid differentiation, treated by cholecystectomy with liver segmentectomy and lymph node dissection for a tumor which occupied the entire gallbladder and spread to the liver. Histologically, the tumor contained two distinct components: a mixture of both well and poorly differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma and sarcomatoid tissue with chondroid differentiation. From a review of the literature, it was seen that carcinosarcomas of the gallbladder could be divided into two groups: one group with apparent sarcomatous differentiation, such as chondroid, osteoid, and rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation, and the other group, of carcinosarcomas with a sarcomatous portion composed of anaplastic spindle cells. Each group had a poor prognosis in spite of surgical resection of tumors. Our patient died of peritoneal dissemination 7 months after surgery.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Carcinosarcoma / pathology*
  • Carcinosarcoma / surgery
  • Chondroma / pathology*
  • Chondroma / surgery
  • Female
  • Gallbladder Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Gallbladder Neoplasms / surgery
  • Humans