AIM To evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with metastases to the gallbladder (MGBs).

METHODS We performed a single-center retrospective study of 20 patients with MGBs diagnosed pathologically from 1999 to 2007.

RESULTS Among 417 gallbladder (GB) malignancies, 20 (4.8%) were MGBs. The primary malignancies originated from the stomach (n = 8), colorectum (n = 3), liver (n = 2), kidney (n = 2), skin (n = 2), extrahepatic bile duct (n = 1), uterine cervix (n = 1), and appendix (n = 1). Twelve patients were diagnosed metachronously, presenting with cholecystitis (n = 4), abdominal pain (n = 2), jaundice (n = 1), weight loss (n = 1), and serum CA 19-9 elevation (n = 1); five patients were asymptomatic. The median survival after the diagnosis of MGB was 8.7 mo. On Cox regression analysis, R0 resection was the only factor associated with a prolonged survival [hazard ratio (HR): 0.01, P = 0.002]; presentation with cholecystitis was associated with poor survival (HR: 463.27, P = 0.006).

CONCLUSION MGBs accounted for 4.8% of all pathologically diagnosed GB malignancies. The most common origin was the stomach. The median survival of MGB was 8.7 mo.