[Anatomopathological behavior of gallbladder cancer. Frequency and importance of precancerous epithelial lesions of gallbladder cancer].

Surgical and autopsy materials were analyzed in a period of six years at La Paz, Bolivia "Bolivian Japanese Gastroenterological Institute" (Instituto de Gastroenterología Boliviano Japonés de La Paz, Bolivia), searching for macro and microscopic appearance of gallbladder cancer. Adenocarcinoma with infiltrative growth was the most frequent finding. Cholecystitis and Cholelithiasis were present in all the cases of gallbladder cancer. Epithelial lesions such hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia and carcinoma in situ were frequent findings in the surrounding mucosa of invasive gallbladder carcinoma and not so frequent in benign gallbladder lesions. Group V of Nevin classification was common in our cases.