**Abstract**

Gallbladder polyps (GBP) are defined as developed masses inside the wall of the gallbladder; most of them (90%) are nontumor lesions. Abdominal ultrasound is the main and the first line radiological modality for their diagnosis and their risk lamination. We conducted a 12 year retrospective study between 2009 and 2020, which included patients who had preoperative transabdominal ultrasonography showing gallbladder polyps and had undergone cholecystectomy, and for whom postoperative pathology results were available, as well as patients who had at least one polyp discovered on the histopathological exam and who were not determined preoperatively. A total of 70 patients were identified. Preoperative diagnosis of vesicular polyp by ultrasound was carried in 82.9% of patients. The number of ultrasounds performed per person was 1.2 ± 0.47. The polyps' size in mm was on average 6.14 ± 2.6 with extremes between 3 and 13 mm. On anatomopathological examination, a polyp was objectified in 33.3% of cases. In our series, abdominal ultrasound had a low sensitivity at 36.4%. We aim to provide the accuracy of abdominal ultrasound for the diagnosis of GBP, as a low-cost modality, and to evaluate the concordance of preoperative ultrasound imaging with postoperative pathology.

**Keywords:** gallbladder polyps, abdominal ultrasound, sensitivity, cholecystectomy, management

### **1. Introduction**

Gallbladder polyps (GBP) are defined as developed masses inside the wall of the gallbladder; most of them (90%) are nontumor lesions [1]. They have been firstly classified in 1976 as benign tumors, pseudotumors, and malignant tumors [2].

Abdominal ultrasound is the main and the first line radiological modality for their diagnosis and their risk lamination [3]. It has been proven in the literature, the superiority of ultrasound by comparing it to other imaging techniques such as CT scan [4].

Ultrasound diagnosis of GBP is founded on two criteria—the lack of posterior acoustic shadow and immobility when changing the patient's position [1, 5].

Transabdominal ultrasound represents also an essential modality for the follow-up of GBP [6].

Nowadays, plenty of radiological modalities, such as transabdominal ultrasonography, endoscopic ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CT scan, or PET-CT have been employed for the diagnosis of GBP [7].

GBP are potentially malignant lesions so that it is mandatory to be precise whether the polyp is a high or low risk of malignancy and to lead undoubtedly to their perfect management [8].

We aim to provide the accuracy of abdominal ultrasound for the diagnosis of GBP, as a low-cost modality, and to evaluate the concordance of preoperative ultrasound imaging with postoperative pathology.
