What are gallbladder polyps and do they need to be treated?

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Nguyen Minh Quang - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital

Gallbladder polyp is a pathology discovered by chance on ultrasound, or when the patient goes to the doctor because of abdominal bloating and indigestion. This diagnosis is strange to most people, makes us worry, we do not know whether it is benign or malignant, how to treat it?

Gallbladder polyps, also known as gallbladder mucosal papillomas, are a tumor-like or pseudotumor lesion that develops on the surface of the gallbladder lining. Gallbladder polyps occur at any age and there is no significant difference in incidence by sex or race. In particular, these images are often seen through the annual health check-up screening, with general abdominal ultrasound screening.
The morphology of papilloma is different in nature, so it can be benign or non-benign (cancerous). 92% of polyp cases are benign, including two types: adenoma such as adenoma, leiomyoma (muscle tumor), lipome (lipoma) ... or pseudotumor such as cholesterol polyp (cholesterol tumor), adenomyomatosis (adenoma of myoma) ), pseudotumor inflammation... The rest 8% are malignant gallbladder polyps, including adenocarcinoma (adenocarcinoma), mealanoma (melanoma), cancer metastasis...

The number and size of gallbladder polyps are also quite diverse, but most of them have a polyp in the gallbladder with a size of less than 10 mm. In some cases, there are many polyps in the gallbladder at the same time or the size can be up to 20 - 40 mm.

Most cases of gallbladder polyps have no symptoms and are discovered incidentally during routine physical examination or for other reasons. Only about 6 - 7% of patients with gallbladder polyps have symptoms, the most common is pain under the right ribs or pain above the navel, a few have nausea, vomiting, slow digestion and contractions. mild stiffness under the right flank, especially when eating fried, high-fat foods.
Therefore, the detection of gallbladder polyps is mainly thanks to imaging tools such as ultrasound, endoscopic ultrasound, computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.

92% of gallbladder polyps are benign in nature, can completely live peacefully with gallbladder polyps, so most patients do not need any intervention. On the other hand, the gallbladder is a structure of the biliary tract system, which plays a role in regulating bile secretion and food digestion, so it is completely impossible to arbitrarily perform resection without an indication. respectable.
In addition, most polyp sizes are described as less than 10 mm and according to reports, if gallbladder polyps are smaller than this on ultrasound, most are benign. However, in patients with 2-3 or more polyps, polyp size larger than 10 mm, or polyps growing rapidly or increasing in number on ultrasound examinations after 3-6 months, surgery should be indicated. laparoscopic cholecystectomy, because according to many studies these patients have a high risk of gallbladder cancer - a disease with a very poor prognosis.
In the case of gallbladder polyps growing larger than 10mm, there are manifestations such as abdominal pain, vomiting, recurrent fever or images suggestive of malignancy such as when the polyp has spreading legs, irregular shape. Regularly or indirectly through blood tests, surgery should be arranged early before it develops into actual cancer, especially in people over the age of 50.

Currently, with the development of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, it has become a less invasive surgery, less pain, and patients recover quickly after surgery, with few complications.
Gallbladder polyps are not so rare in society and only a few progress to cancer. Therefore, most cases do not require any treatment but should be monitored periodically and surgical intervention only when there are symptoms or suspicion of malignancy, because gallbladder cancer has a very poor prognosis. Join the general health examination program at Vinmec for early detection and timely treatment if this disease is present before it is too late.
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