Palpable Gallbladder in Gallbladder Carcinoma
Direct Answer
The provided evidence does not contain specific data on the percentage of patients with gallbladder carcinoma who present with a palpable gallbladder, and no reference study addressing this specific clinical finding is included in the available literature.
Clinical Context
The question asks for a specific percentage and reference study that are not present in the provided evidence. The available research focuses on:
Common Presenting Features of Gallbladder Carcinoma
Abdominal pain is the most common presenting complaint, followed by jaundice and weight loss 1
Clinical manifestations typically include right upper quadrant pain, anorexia, weight loss, and jaundice 2
The disease progresses silently with late diagnosis in most cases, with only 0.5-1.5% of patients diagnosed after simple cholecystectomy for presumed gallstone disease 3
Radiologic Findings Rather Than Physical Examination
Imaging findings include focal or diffuse gallbladder wall thickening (49%), a mass in the gallbladder fossa (37%), and intraluminal mass (14%) 2
Associated findings include cholelithiasis (64%), biliary duct dilatation (38%), and invasion of adjacent structures (67%) 2
Diagnostic Challenges
Preoperative diagnosis is extremely rare, with only 2 of 61 surgically managed patients having accurate preoperative diagnosis by ultrasonography in one series 1
The disease is generally diagnosed late due to non-specific symptoms 4
Important Clinical Caveat
The absence of data on palpable gallbladder frequency in the provided evidence suggests this physical finding is either uncommon or not systematically reported in gallbladder carcinoma literature. This contrasts with pancreatic head carcinoma where Courvoisier's sign (palpable gallbladder with painless jaundice) is a well-recognized clinical finding. The lack of emphasis on palpable gallbladder in gallbladder carcinoma literature likely reflects that the gallbladder itself is the diseased organ, making this physical finding less clinically relevant or distinctive for diagnosis.