Book 4 - Self Instructional Manual for Cancer Registrars - SEER ...

GallbladderThe gallbladder is a pear-shaped sac 7 to 10 cm. long and about 2.5 cm. wide. It lies on theundersurface of the right lobe of the liver. The wall of the gallbladder is composed of three layers:a mucosa, a muscular layer, and an outer covering of peritoneum called the serosa which coats thegallbladder except where it is in immediate contact with the liver. The mucous lining is arranged infolds called rugae which are similar in structure and function to those of the stomach. Thegallbladder stores and regulates the flow of bile manufactured by the liver. The bile enters thegallbladder via the hepatic and cystic ducts. The cystic duct from the gallbladder unites with thehepatic duct to form the common bile duct. During the digestive process the gallbladder ejectsconcentrated bile into the duodenum by way of the common bile duct. The duodenum receives amixture of bile and pancreatic juice.Lymph nodes for the gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts accompany the cystic and hepaticarteries to the celiac axis region. Nodes are located in relation to the common bile duct(pericholedochal), hilus of liver (hilar), the duodenum (periduodenal), liver (periportal), pancreas(peripancreatic), and cystic duct. A node of the anterior border of the foramen of Winslow _ maybe identified specifically.Adenocarcinoma is the most common tumor of gallbladder or bile duct origin. Those arising inbile ducts may be called cholangiocarcinomas.lforamen of Winslow--an epiploic (omental) foramen, an opening in the omentum.233