Diseases of the Gallbladder

This book provides up-to-date information on all aspects of gallbladder disease. After an introductory section on laboratory findings, pathology, and diagnostic methods, it focuses on specific conditions and their management, covering gallbladder stones, acalculous cholecystitis, gallbladder lesions associated with IgG4-related disease and with anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union, and dyskinesia of the gallbladder. Moreover, it discusses incidental gallbladder carcinoma in detail, including epidemiology, risk factors, gene mutations, diagnostic imaging methods and treatment modalities. The book also features a section exploring important current issues, such as the diagnosis and therapy of polypoid lesions and gallbladder wall thickening, and the role of prophylactic cholecystectomy in patients with concomitant gallstones following removal of common bile duct stones by ERCP. It also compares endoscopic gallbladder drainage with percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage. Lastly, the book offers stimulating future perspectives.

Jae Bock Chung M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus at the Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. A specialist in pancreatobiliary diseases, ERCP and EUS, he was President of the Korean Pancreatobiliary Association from 2007 to 2008, and President of The Korean Society of Gastroenterology from 2007 to 2009. He is also Coeditor of the book 'Autoimmune Pancreatitis', published by Springer in 2015.  

Kazuichi Okazaki M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus at the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, and Director of Kansai Medical University Kouri Hospital, Osaka, Japan. He has been President of the Japan Pancreas Society since 2016, and was Councilor (2014-2018) and is currently Co-opt Councilor of the Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology (APAGE). He was Councilor of the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) (2008-2016), has been Secretary General and Councilor of Asian Oceanic Pancreatic Association (AOPA) since 2016, and was Congress President of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology (2016), and of the Japan Pancreas Society (2017). He was Editor of the book 'IgG4-related disease' (2017) in the Springer series 'Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology' (Responsible Series Editor: Dr. Tasuku Honjo).