Surgical Intervention vs Observation in the Management of Gallbladder Polyps: A Case Series

Abstract

Gallbladder polyps have an incidence of approximately 5-7% in the adult population and are more prevalent in men. There are different types of polyps, the majority of which are benign cholesterol polyps; and other types include inflammatory, adenomatous, adenomyomatous, and malignant. In this article, we are analyzing results from 3 case reports where the diagnosis of gallbladder polyps was made. Routine ultrasound examinations were performed to check for changes in the characteristics of the polyps. Two patients had benign cholesterol polyps and one patient had an adenocarcinoma. Polyps present with very similar features to gallbladder stones; hence need to be carefully evaluated. The gold standard imaging tool to diagnose gallbladder polyps is abdominal ultrasound, which displays a protrusion without any acoustic shadowing. Sometimes polyps can be hidden behind the acoustic shadowing of gallstones when visualized on ultrasound if existing together. Risk factors and signs of malignancy influence decision-making of whether the intervention should be cholecystectomy or observation, and hence should be considered.