Adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder in childhood: report of a case and review of the literature

Adenomyomatosis of the Gallbladder as a Cause of Abdominal Pain in Pediatrics: A Case Report of an Adolescent and a Literature Review

Objectives

Adenomyomatosis (ADM) of the gallbladder is a benign condition, which is characterized by mucosal hyperplasia of the gallbladder and formation of intramucosal invagination through the thickened mucosal layer. The pathogenesis is unclear. This condition is rare in children. The aim of this publication is to present the case of a teenager with ADM of the gallbladder and review the pediatric literature on this topic.

Methods

A 17-year-old female presented with severe postprandial right upper quadrant abdominal pains. The abdominal ultrasound revealed ADM of the gallbladder.

Results

A curative laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed. Since 1998, eleven of the 13 pediatrics cases reported with ADM of the gallbladder were symptomatic and a cholecystectomy was curative in all of them.

Conclusion

ADM of the gallbladder should be considered in the differential diagnosis of recurrent right abdominal upper quadrant pains in pediatrics. Abdominal ultrasound is the best diagnostic procedure. In symptomatic patients, a cholecystectomy is curative.

A case of incidental infantile gallbladder adenomyomatosis: an unusual US finding of uncertain clinical significance

Adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder is defined as hypertrophy of the gallbladder mucosal epithelium that invaginates into a thickened muscularis propria, leading to the formation of intramural diverticula. It is typically considered a benign condition most commonly affecting adults and, rarely, children. In this case report, we present a case of gallbladder adenomyomatosis in a 3-month-old infant. The diagnosis was made incidentally on ultrasound examination of the abdomen, in an otherwise asymptomatic child with no laboratory test abnormalities and no underlying disease. The purpose of this case report is to make infantile adenomyomatosis and its implications known to clinicians, as the literature on this topic is limited. To the best of our knowledge, this is the youngest reported case of adenomyomatosis in the pediatric population.

Combined Fundal and Segmental Adenomyomatosis of the Gallbladder in a Child: A Rare Case Report

Adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder (AMG) is characterized by mucosal hyperplasia leading to invagination through the thickened muscle layer, which is relatively common in adults, but is rare in childhood. We report a 12-year-old boy with adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder combined segmental and fundal type. This combined type is rare in adults and is first reported here in childhood. Although initial imaging with computed tomography (CT) suggested the presence of a circular solid mass-like lesion because of its rare morphology, repeated ultrasonography (US) was useful for leading to a correct diagnosis.

Description of the first case of adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder in an infant

We report here the case of the youngest patient with adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder in a female infant diagnosed at 4 months of age. This diagnosis was made based on characteristic ultrasonography findings in a patient that was undergoing routine surveillance for a suspected clinical diagnosis of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. The patient remains asymptomatic and currently no surgical interventions have been needed. We review the pathophysiology and ultrasonographic findings of this rare condition and present a comparison with the only other four pediatric cases of adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder.

Neonatal adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder: An incidental finding at 12 hours of life

Adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder, although relatively common in adults, is a rare entity in the pediatric age group. Controversy still exists as to whether or not to perform followup ultrasound, as there is a questionable increased risk of gallbladder carcinoma in adults. We present a case of neonatal adenomyomatosis that was diagnosed at 12 hours of life in a term newborn.

Stepwise approach and surgery for gallbladder adenomyomatosis: a mini-review

BACKGROUND

Gallbladder adenomyomatosis (GBA) is a hyperplastic disease affecting the wall of the gallbladder, with some typical features. It has historically been considered a benign condition, nevertheless recent reports highlighted a potential role of GBA in predisposing to malignancies of the gallbladder.

DATA SOURCES

We reviewed the literature concerning GBA from its identification until July 2012. Owing to the relative rarity of the disease, studies often are case reports or case series. Thus we herein report a summary of the key-points concerning diagnosis and treatment of GBA, easily applicable in everyday practice, rather than a systematic review. Also, results are integrated with our recent experience.

RESULTS

In our experience, we observed a trend toward an increase of GBA during the last years, probably due to enhanced ultrasonographic technical advancements and physician's expertise. GBA has distinctive imaging features. Several recent reports highlight the potential risk of cancer associated with GBA; however the disease is still classified as a benign condition. Although its correlation with malignancy has not been demonstrated, it is prudent to recommend cholecystectomy in some cases. However, in selected asymptomatic patients, a wait-and-see policy is a viable alternative. We propose an algorithm, based on GBA pathological pattern (diffuse, segmental, localized or fundal), suitable for decision-making.

CONCLUSIONS

In symptomatic patients and if the diagnosis is doubtful, cholecystectomy is mandatory. Postponing surgery is an option to be offered to asymptomatic patients with low-risk GBA pattern who adhere to scheduled follow-ups.

Fundal variant adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder: report of three cases and review of the literature

Adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder (adenomyomas or adenomyomatous hyperplasia) is relatively uncommon tumor or tumor-like lesions that are found in 2% - 5% of all cholecystectomies. They may involve in the fundal localization as a second frequency and have a predilection for the middle and elderly-aged women. Adenomyomas are histologically characterized by epithelial proliferation and muscular hyperplasia of the gallbladder. The chronic irritation is mostly aetiological factor and rarely has malignant potential. In this paper, the authors present the clinicopathological features of three cases with adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder and discuss under the light of current literature because of the rarity of these conditions.

[Imaging in the diagnosis and the staging of gallbladder tumors]

Most of gallbladder tumors are benign. Adenoma, cholesterol polyps, or adenomyomatosis are most frequently typical on ultrasonographic images. All symptomatic lesions must be considered as indications for surgery. It may be difficult to identify precancerous or malignant lesion. Polyps over 1cm are indication for preventive cholecystectomy. In case of suspicious polyp or suspicious wall thickening, endoscopic ultrasonography can be helpful to evaluate local tumoral spread and eliminate differential diagnosis. Unfortunately, diagnosis of gallbladder cancer is often late, when surgical resection can't be curative. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging examinations are then useful for local and metastatic staging.

Adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder resembling honeycomb in a child

Adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder is believed to be an uncommon pathologic condition of the gallbladder in childhood. Only three pediatric cases have been described in the literature up to now. Honeycomb gallbladder has been described in two adult patients; no patients have been reported in childhood until now. To the best of our knowledge, we report here the first case of adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder which resembled honeycomb, in a 9-year-old girl presented with recurrent abdominal pain. The diagnosis was made by ultrasound, and confirmed by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and finally cholecystectomy. In conclusion, ultrasound scanning performed more generally in children presenting with recurrent abdominal pain might lead to accurate diagnosis of adenomyomotosis of the gallbladder during childhood.

More than just stones: a pictorial review of common and less common gallbladder pathologies

Although stone disease is by far the most commonly encountered pathology of the gallbladder, there are several other important disease processes affecting it. These include adenomyomatosis, cholesterolosis, polyps, porcelain gallbladder, acalculous cholecystitis, xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis, emphysematous cholecystitis, gallbladder cancer, and gallbladder hemorrhage. The purpose of this article was to review the different gallbladder pathologies encountered in everyday radiological practice and to describe their features in the standard imaging modalities.

Imaging of adenomyomatosis of the gall bladder

Adenomyomatosis is a relatively common abnormality of the gall bladder, with a reported incidence of between 2.8 and 5%. Although mainly confined to the adult study group, a number of cases have been reported in the paediatric study group. It is characterized pathologically by excessive proliferation of the surface epithelium and hypertrophy of the muscularis propria of the gall bladder wall, with invagination of the mucosa into the thickened muscularis forming the so-called 'Rokitansky-Aschoff' sinuses. The condition is usually asymptomatic and is often diagnosed as an incidental finding on abdominal imaging. The radiological diagnosis is largely dependent on the visualization of the characteristic Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses. As the condition is usually asymptomatic, the importance of making a correct diagnosis is to prevent misinterpretation of other gall bladder conditions such as gall bladder cancer, leading to incorrect treatment. In the past, oral cholecystography was the main imaging method used to make this diagnosis. In most institutions, oral cholecystography is no longer carried out, and the diagnosis is now more commonly seen on cross-sectional imaging. In this review article, we describe the manifestations of adenomyomatosis on the various imaging methods, with an emphasis on more modern techniques such as magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. A brief section on oral cholecystography to aid readers familiar with this technique in understanding the comparable imaging features on more modern imaging techniques is included.

[Precancerous lesions of the gallbladder]

This Mini-review summarizes the epidemiology, predisposing and pre-cancerous conditions related to carcinoma of the gallbladder. In 75% of cases, gallbladder cancer is a cholangiocarcinoma, usually presenting in a late and advanced stage, and it carries one of the worst prognoses of all GI malignancies. Early stage disease is usually discovered incidentally by the pathologist in a gallbladder specimen removed for calculous cholecystitis. It occurs three times more frequently in women than in men and invasive forms usually occur after the age of 60. Incidence varies with geographic location. Besides genetic and geographic factors, the presence of one or more large gallstones is a major risk factor. Gallbladder polyps larger than 1.5 cm. (especially solitary sessile hypoechogenic polyps) are associated with a 50% risk of malignancy. Choledochal cysts and other variations of the biliopancreatic junction are also associated with high risk; cancer may occur at a much younger age in these patients and in the absence of gallstones. Porcelain gallbladder is a risk factor, particularly when there is calcification of the gallbladder mucosa. Chronic gallbladder infection has been implicated as a risk factor for malignant degeneration. Finally, cancer of both the gallbladder and the bile ducts is more frequent in patients suffering from primary biliary cirrhosis.