Gallbladder Polyps
Gallbladder polyps are abnormal growths of tissue that develop in the inner lining of the gallbladder. These polyps are often harmless but can indicate the presence of another gallbladder problem and, in rare cases, could be cancerous.
Gallbladder polyps can be of different types, each made of a different material. These are, namely, pseudopolyps (cholesterol), inflammatory polyps (scar tissue), adenomyomas (overgrown gallbladder lining), adenomas (tumours of cells that resemble that of the biliary tract), and malignant polyps (cancerous tumours).
Small gallbladder polyps rarely turn malignant, but they need monitoring to ensure they are stable in size. However, some of the risk factors for gallbladder polyps with malignant potentials are as follows:
- >6mm in size
- Older patients >60 years old
- Only a single polyp is seen on the scan.
Symptoms:
Gallbladder polyps are identified incidentally, and they do not present with symptoms. On the other hand, a malignant polyp will continue to grow insidiously and invade the gallbladder, eventually leading to gallbladder cancer (gallbladder carcinoma).
Patients with gallbladder cancer usually present late with significant weight loss, loss of appetite, malaise, and jaundice.
Treatment:
Patient with small gallbladder polyps does not require surgery. A simple follow-up with ultrasound to monitor the polyp size will be sufficient.
However, if the gallbladder polyps are bigger in size with a potential risk of malignancy, your doctor will offer you a laparoscopic cholecystectomy to remove the gallbladder together with the polyp within it.
