Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis Resembling Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Case Report

Ziauddin Medical College, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan

*Corresponding author: Umer Shahid, Ziauddin Medical College, Ziauddin University, 4/B Shahrah-e-Ghalib Rd, Block 6 Clifton, Karachi, Karachi City, Sindh 75000, Pakistan, Phone: +923353772731, ORCID: 0009-0001-9177-1446, E-mail: [email protected]

Received Date: May 13, 2025

Publication Date: June 13, 2025

Citation: Ali MA, et al. (2025). Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis Resembling Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Case Report. Clin Res. 6(1):28.

Copyright: Ali MA, et al. © (2025).

ABSTRACT

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) represents an uncommon and aggressive manifestation of chronic cholecystitis, showing extensive inflammatory cell involvement of both acute and chronic types. The medical and imaging characteristics of XGC replicate the presentation of gallbladder cancer; therefore, preoperative diagnosis remains challenging. Similar imaging features show up in both chronic illnesses because they both result in gallbladder wall thickening. Histopathologic assessment is vital to diagnosing XGC by examining the presence of xanthoma cells alongside chronic inflammatory cells. Medical experts choose cholecystectomy surgery as the principal therapeutic approach because it involves removing the gallbladder. Preoperative recognition of XGC creates the chance to avoid unnecessary radical surgical operations while producing enhanced outcomes for patients. A middle-aged female patient aged 48 with no existing medical conditions sought medical care for moderate pain in her right upper quadrant along with heart palpitations. Cholecystitis with gallstones appeared on the initial scans and ultrasound examination without signs of cancer emergence. The clinical tests showed liver enzyme abnormalities, indicating cholestasis conditions. The patient underwent cholecystectomy surgery before pathologists confirmed XGC through examination of the resected gallbladder. The imagery of a thickened gallbladder wall requires doctors to include XGC as one of the possible diagnoses for chronic cholecystitis. This report explores more extensively why the diagnosis of XGC depends on accurate pathology tests.

Keywords: Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis, Chronic Cholecystitis, Gallbladder Cancer, Gallstone