Incidentally Detected Gallbladder Carcinoma: Can F-18 FDG PET/CT Aid in Staging and Prognostication?

Incidental gallbladder carcinoma (IGBC) is diagnosed in post-cholecystectomy specimens for benign indications, where the role of 2-fluro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography(FDG-PET/CT) is not clearly defined. The present study aimed to assess the benefits of staging and prognosticating with FDG-PET/CT in IGBC. A retrospective observational study from a tertiary-care center from January 2010 to July 2020 was performed. The demographic, clinical, histopathological, and treatment-related histories were collected. FDG-PET/CT-image findings were compared with survival outcomes through telephonic follow-up. The chi-square test was used for comparing frequencies. The univariate and multivariate survival estimates were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier analysis and the Cox-proportional hazard model, respectively. Log-rank test was used to compare the Kaplan–Meier curves. The study included 280 postcholecystectomy participants (mean age: 52 ± 11 years; women: 227) of whom 52.1