Isolated complete avulsion of the gallbladder (near traumatic cholecystectomy): a case report and review of the literature

• Published in: Journal of medical case reports 2011-08, Vol.5 (1), p.392-392, Article 392
• Main Authors: Pavlidis, Theodoros E, Lalountas, Miltiadis A, Psarras, Kyriakos, Symeonidis, Nikolaos G, Tsitlakidis, Anastasios, Pavlidis, Efstathios T, Ballas, Konstantinos, Flaris, Nikolaos, Marakis, Georgios N, Sakantamis, Athanassios K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Case Report; Case studies; Cholecystectomy; CT imaging; Diagnosis; Gallbladder cancer; Health aspects
• ISSN: 1752-1947; 1752-1947
• DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-5-392

Injury of the gallbladder after blunt abdominal trauma is an unusual finding; the reported incidence is less than 2%. Three groups of injuries are described: simple contusion, laceration, and avulsion, the last of which can be partial, complete, or total traumatic cholecystectomy. A case of isolated complete avulsion of the gallbladder (near traumatic cholecystectomy) from its hepatic bed in a 46-year-old Caucasian man without any other sign of injury is presented. The avulsion was due to blunt abdominal trauma after a car accident. The rarity of this injury and the stable condition of our patient at the initial presentation warrant a description. The diagnosis was made incidentally after a computed tomography scan, and our patient was treated successfully with ligation of the cystic duct and artery, removal of the gallbladder, coagulation of the bleeding points, and placement of a drain. Early diagnosis of such injuries is quite difficult because abdominal signs are poor, non-specific, or even absent. Therefore, a computed tomography scan should be performed when the mechanism of injury is indicated.