Cholesterolosis : Macroscopic Features

Comments:
Macroscopic Features: Gallbladder mucosa shows uniformly distributed, golden yellow, linear streaks running along mucosal ridges. The intervening mucosa is bile stained and usually appears green or it may be red if inflamed and congested. The resulting appearance has been referred to as strawberry gallbladder.

Larger lipid deposits in the lamina propria may acquire polypoid shape and protrude into the lumen (cholesterol polyps or polypoid cholesterolosis). They are small, ranging from 2 to 10 mm in size and may be detected on imaging studies. In surgically resected gallbladders, cholesterolosis coexists with cholesterol gallstones in 50% of cases.