Types of Gallbladder Wall Thickening Seen on Computed Tomography (CT)

Description

Kim et al listed various patterns of gallbladder wall thickening seen on computed tomography (CT). Once the pattern is identified then the most likely cause can be determined. The authors are from Seoul National University and Yonsei University in South Korea..

Patient selection: gallbladder disorder

Method of evaluation: computed tomography

Parameters:

(1) number of layers

(2) thickness of layers

(3) enhancement relative to normal hepatic parenchyma

Number of Layers	Thickness of Layers	Enhancement	Type
one or indistinguishable	thick	heterogeneous	1
two	thick inner, thin outer	inner strong, outer weak or nonenhancing	2
two	variable	inner borderline with small cystic spaces, outer nonenhancing	3
two	thin inner, thin outer	inner weak, outer nonenhancing	4
two	thin inner, thick outer	inner weak, outer nonenhancing	5

where:

• Thick inner layer is >= 2.6 mm.

• Thin outer layer is <= 3.4 mm.

Type	Likely Diagnosis
1	cancer
2	cancer
3	adenomyosis
4	chronic cholecystitis
5	acute cholecystitis

A gallbladder may show more than one type of change. For example, gallbladder cancer often arises in a gallbladder with longstanding cholecystitis.

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Types of Gallbladder Wall Thickening Seen on Computed Tomography (CT)

Description

Specialty