Incidence of Neoplasia in Cholecystectomy Specimens: A Retrospective Study at Ibra Hospital, Oman

Deep Parkash Talreja; Rani Bai; Simran Parkash; Ahamed Sharif Moustafa Rehab; Moosa Ahamed  Alwardi; Hosam Elghadban; Ayman Albatanony

doi:10.31557/APJCC.2026.11.4.631

Authors

Deep Parkash Talreja Department of General Surgery, Ibra Hospital, Masroon, Ibra, Oman.
Rani Bai Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ibra Hospital, Masroon, Ibra, Oman.
Simran Parkash General Surgery Georgian National University SEU, Tbilisi, GEO, Georgia.
Ahamed Sharif Moustafa Rehab Department of General Surgery, Ibra Hospital, Masroon, Ibra, Oman.
Moosa Ahamed Alwardi Department of Radiology, Ibra Hospital, Masroon, Ibra, Oman.
Hosam Elghadban Department of General Surgery, Ibra Hospital, Masroon, Ibra, Oman.
Ayman Albatanony Department of General Surgery, Ibra Hospital, Masroon, Ibra, Oman.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31557/APJCC.2026.11.4.631

Keywords:

Gallbladder carcinoma, Gallbladder neoplasms, Incidental, Cholecystectomy, Histopathological examination, Laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Abstract

Introduction: Gallbladder carcinoma is the fifth most common gastrointestinal malignancy and the leading biliary tract cancer, accounting for 80–95% of cases. It is highly aggressive, with a five-year survival rate below 5%, and is often diagnosed late, resulting in an overall survival of less than six months. Differentiating chronic cholecystitis from malignancy remains clinically challenging. Routine histopathology after cholecystectomy can improve early detection and prognosis. This study primarily aimed to determine the incidence of incidental gallbladder carcinoma in post-cholecystectomy specimens at Ibra Hospital, Oman, over five years. Secondary objectives were to analyze demographic and clinical characteristics and to evaluate the histological spectrum of gallbladder pathologies.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective, descriptive, and cross-sectional study included 410 consecutive patients with cholelithiasis who underwent cholecystectomy at Ibra Hospital, North Sharqiyah, Oman, between March 1, 2019, and April 1, 2024. Patients with suspected gallbladder carcinoma were excluded. Data collected included demographics, diagnostic parameters, preoperative imaging, histological findings, and incidence of malignancy. Histopathology reports were used as the definitive diagnostic reference.

Results: Out of 410 cholecystectomy specimens, two cases (0.5%) were diagnosed as gallbladder carcinoma (95% CI: 0.06–1.8%). Chronic cholecystitis was the most frequent histological finding (75.9%), followed by acute cholecystitis (19.5%). Female patients accounted for 80.7% of the studied group, with a mean age of 46.2 years in our study. Laparoscopic procedures accounted for 99% of surgeries. Postoperative complications included surgical site infections (2.9%) and port hernias (1.7%).

Conclusion: Systematic histologic examination should be considered as a standard procedure. However, the limitations of the present study are limited to the fact that it is a retrospective study and therefore cannot provide definitive evidence of whether or not all possible pathologies could be detected. Improved prognosis is associated with early detection of incidental gallbladder carcinomas.