Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2010 Jan-Mar;14(1):147-51.
doi: 10.4293/108680810X12674612765588.

Diagnosis and laparoscopic approach to gallbladder torsion and cholelithiasis

Patricio Cruz Garciavilla  1 , Jorge Fernández Alvarez, Gonzalo Vargas Uzqueda
Affiliations
Case Reports

Diagnosis and laparoscopic approach to gallbladder torsion and cholelithiasis

Patricio Cruz Garciavilla et al. JSLS. 2010 Jan-Mar.

Abstract

Torsion of the gallbladder is common in elderly women. Different causes have been proposed for this rare condition. The presence of a long mesentery and loss of visceral fat are the main causes for the development of torsion. Patients present with a sudden, acute pain in the right upper quadrant, suggesting cholecystitis. Different imaging methods have shown particular findings, but the diagnosis is still complex. Today, just a few cases have been reported in the literature. The treatment for this condition consists of surgical detorsion and cholecystectomy. Gallbladder torsion is a very rare entity and should be suspected when these clinical findings are present.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Abdominal ultrasound showing the gallbladder with thickened wall and a hyperechogenic image suggesting the torsed mesentery. The US Doppler shows no flow within the gallbladder.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Abdominal computed tomographic scan showing an enlarged gallbladder with asymmetric thickening of the wall with a low-density filling.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Necrotic floating gallbladder found at laparoscopy. Free necrotic gallbladder with a 360° counterclockwise torsion in its mesentery.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Open gallbladder showing the thickened wall and the presence of 2 gallstones.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Wendel AV. A case of floating gallbladder and kidney complicated with cholelithiasis with perforation of the gallbladder. Ann Surg. 1898;27:199–202 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tarhan OR, Barut I, Dinelek H. Gallbladder volvulus: review of the literature and report of a case. Turk J Gastroenterol. 2006;17(3):209–211 - PubMed
    1. Nicholas JM. Image of the month: Gallbladder volvulus. Arch Surg. 2002;137 - PubMed
    1. Stieber AC, Bauer JJ. Volvulus of the gallbladder. Am J Gastroenterol. 1983;78:96–98 - PubMed
    1. Chiow AKH, Ibrahim S, Tay KH. Torsion of the gallbladder: a rare entity. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2007;36(8):705–706 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources