Gallbladder : Polyarteritis Nodosa

Comments:
Besides polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), vasculitis may be seen in gallbladder in other systemic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, mixed connective tissue disease, giant cell arteritis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, and Wegener granulomatosis. Clinically, it may present as acalculous cholecystitis or it may be an incidental finding in a cholecystectomy performed for gallstones.

This photomicrograph shows PAN discovered incidentally in a cholecystectomy specimen. There is destruction of the internal elastic lamina and muscle layers, transmural inflammation and fibrointimal proliferation.