Histopathological spectrum of cholecystectomy specimens in a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore

Introduction: Gallstone disease is a major health problem and puts notable burden on individuals and health care system worldwide. This research was carried out to study the varied histopathological changes in the gallbladder mucosa as a result of cholelithiasis. Materials and Methods: The present research comprised 190 gallbladder specimens obtained from cholecystectomy procedures conducted at tertiary teaching hospital in Bangalore. The gross examination was done after fixing the specimens with 10% formalin. Haematoxylin and eosin was used to stain gallbladder sections from fundus, body and neck. Results: On gross examination, congestion was noticed on surface of gall bladder in 67 cases (35.26%), wall was thickened in more than half of cases 104 (54.74%). Nearly a quarter of specimens showed pathological changes in mucosa of gallbladder (23.15%). Histopathological examination observed evident epithelial hyperplasia in 80 cases (42.1%), antral metaplasia in 20 (10.5%), intestinal metaplasia in 12 (6.3%), dysplasia with carcinoma in one case (0.53%). Conclusion: Gallstones produce a wide range of histopathological changes in mucosa and calls for dedicated attention of pathologist routinely.