[Need and extension of lymph node dissection in gallbladder carcinoma].

Gallbladder carcinomas have the propensity to metastasize early, commonly into locoregional lymph nodes. For gallbladder carcinomas with infiltration of at least the muscularis (pT1b) or subserosa (pT2), surgical therapy with a curative intent always includes a locoregional lymphadenectomy besides cholecystectomy and an anatomical or atypical liver resection. In incidentally discovered gallbladder carcinomas, such a locoregional lymphadenectomy should be performed depending on the age of the patient and on tumor extension. However, this only is helpful with respect to prognosis, if the metastases are limited to the hepatoduodenal ligament or to the posterosuperior pancreaticoduodenal nodes. For gallbladder carcinomas with metastases into more distal lymph nodes, especially in paraaortal nodes, lymphadenectomy only rarely impacts long-term survival. An extended lymphadenectomy that includes resection of the bile duct and/or pancreatic head is associated with an increased rate of morbidity and mortality, therefore not being of proven advantage in terms of prognosis.