It has been reported that some patients have been misdiagnosed with Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis, when in fact the correct diagnosis in their specific case was Gallbladder Cancer.
Gallbladder cancer is a growth of abnormal cells that originates in the gallbladder. Symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, losing weight and yellowing of the skin and eyes. As these symptoms are nonspecific it can be easily misdiagnosed and is usually not discovered until the cancer is at an advanced stage. Gallbladder cancer has been historically misdiagnosed at xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis which appears like yellowish masses in the liver. Surgery to remove the masses in both diseases is the main treatment (alongside chemotherapy or radiation for the cancer). Diagnosis between the two can only be confirmed through pathology tests on the mass removed from the patient.