Gallbladder & extrahepatic bile ducts
Cholecystitis
Porcelain gallbladder
Author: Hanni Gulwani, M.B.B.S.
Last author update: 1 September 2012
Last staff update: 24 June 2022
Copyright: 2003-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Porcelain gallbladder
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Gross description | Gross images | Microscopic (histologic) description | Differential diagnosisCite this page: Gulwani H. Porcelain gallbladder. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/gallbladderporcelaingb.html. Accessed October 2nd, 2023.
Definition / general
- Dense, paucicellular hyaline fibrosis transforming gallbladder wall into relatively thin and uniform band
- Diffusely effaces most of normal structure, some cases show calcifications
- Also called hyalinizing cholecystitis
- 0.5% of cholecystectomies - 20% of cases associated with gallbladder carcinoma
Gross description
- Pearly white appearance due to dystrophic calcification
Gross images
Images hosted on other servers:
Porcelain gallbladder
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Widely scattered and bland appearing glands embedded in thin band of hyaline stroma, commonly showing a disappearing lining, leaving behind granular, necrotic intraluminal debris (regression) with or without calcification (Am J Surg Pathol 2011;35:1104)
- Surface epithelium, if preserved, typically shows carcinoma in situ of either denuding or micropapillary types
- Glandular elements in wall should raise suspicion of carcinoma, since benign glands are usually sparse
Differential diagnosis
- Carcinoma of gallbladder:
- Glands have longitudinal axis parallel to the surface, irregular contours, clear cytoplasm with distinct borders, nuclear irregularities, washed out chromatin
