Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2011 | Case report
Isolated complete avulsion of the gallbladder (near traumatic cholecystectomy): a case report and review of the literature
Authors:
Theodoros E Pavlidis, Miltiadis A Lalountas, Kyriakos Psarras, Nikolaos G Symeonidis, Anastasios Tsitlakidis, Efstathios T Pavlidis, Konstantinos Ballas, Nikolaos Flaris, Georgios N Marakis, Athanassios K Sakantamis
Published in:
Journal of Medical Case Reports
|
Issue 1/2011
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Abstract
Introduction
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.
Case presentation
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.
Conclusions
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.