An unusual gallbladder carcinoma with tumor thrombus in the common bile duct.

We described a special infiltration manner of gallbladder carcinoma with tumor thrombus in the common bile duct. Between February 2003 and January 2005, the patients with gallbladder carcinoma who were identified of tumor thrombus in the common bile duct in surgical procedure were retrospectively analyzed. Abdominal ultrasound and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography were used for preoperative diagnosis. All three patients were given radical operation. All three patients recovered well after surgery, who were respectively alive for 30 months, 17 months, and 23 months without tumor recurrence, and 58 months, 41 months, and 40 months for survival time after operation. Gallbladder carcinoma with tumor thrombus in the common bile duct was very rare but with relatively special clinical manifestation and characteristic radiography manifestation.