Ultrasonography of carcinoma of the gallbladder. The images and differential diagnostic problems.

Ultrasonography in the diagnosis of carcinoma of the gallbladder was analysed in a series of 5100 patients, who had a grey-scale sonography of the gallbladder more than 2 years before analysis. Carcinoma has been diagnosed in 12 of the patients. Sonography revealed 8 of the carcinomas. In addition one tumour was diagnosed, which was not considered to originate from the gallbladder. Two patients had carcinoma in situ. The examination of one carcinoma patient was a technical failure. There were 9 false positive findings. Of these 9 patients, one had a metastasis, 5 had a lump of sludge, 3 had a wall thickening caused by chronic cholecystitis and one had an adenomyomatosis.