Clinical spectrum of carcinoma of the gallbladder in the Indian states of Uttarakhand and Western Uttar Pradesh: A retrospective study from a tertiary care hospital of Northern India

Background: North India has a very high incidence of Carcinoma gallbladder (GBC). The aim of the study was to identify the hotspot regions and relationship of gallstones to GBC in two northern states of India. Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective, observational, hospital-based cohort study. The data of patients with locally advanced (LA) or metastatic GBC from January 2019 to December 2019 were evaluated for geographical distribution of cases, and their clinical spectrum was compared with the presence or absence of associated cholelithiasis. Statistical analysis was performed using R Statistical software version 3.6.2. Results: Forty-two patients were enrolled in our study. A high burden of GBC was observed from Western Uttar Pradesh (District Bijnor 12(29%) and Muzaffarnagar 7(17%)) and Uttarakhand (District Haridwar 7(17%), whereas the remaining 16(38%) patients were residents of other districts of Uttarakhand (UK) and Western Uttar Pradesh (UP). In our study, only 17(40.5%) patients had associated cholelithiasis. Metastatic disease at presentation was seen in nearly 59% of patients with cholelithiasis and 52% of patients without cholelithiasis. Jaundice was the most common presentation in 12(70.6%) patients, followed by pain in 9(nearly 53%) patients with GBC associated with gallstones. Whereas in patients with GBC without gallstones, loss of appetite and loss of weight was the most common presentation in 16(64%) followed by jaundice in 13(52%). Conclusion: Most cases with LA or metastatic GBC in the present study were not associated with cholelithiasis. Clinical spectrum of either LA or metastatic GBC is similar, irrespective of presence or absence of gallstones.