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. 2019 May 27;6(6):001123.
doi: 10.12890/2019_001123. eCollection 2019.

Intrahepatic Gallbladder

Sherif Monib  1 , Piyush Mahapatra  1 , Hany Fayez Habashy  2
Affiliations

Intrahepatic Gallbladder

Sherif Monib et al. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med. .

Abstract

Gallbladders have been reported in various ectopic locations. An intrahepatic gallbladder is one where the gallbladder lies within the liver parenchyma or has a subcapsular location along the anterior inferior right lobe of the liver. Intrahepatic gallbladders can have impaired function leading to the formation of gallbladder stones. We present the case of a 57-year-old man who was found to have an intrahepatic gallbladder which was not detected before a retrograde open cholecystectomy was carried out without intra-operative or postoperative complications. Awareness of ectopic gallbladders and their recognition allows proper intra-operative planning.

Learning points: Gallbladder disease in intrahepatic gallbladders poses an additional surgical risk for patients and complicates cholecystectomy or other biliary procedures.Awareness of this rare entity as well as optimum management will prevent patient morbidity and improve outcome.Preoperative MR cholangiopancreatographyis recommended if an intrahepatic gallbladder is identified on ultrasound or CT.Expert hepatobiliary surgeon involvement as well as an intra-operative cholangiogram is recommended in complex cases with abnormal biliary or hepatic vascular anatomy.

Keywords: Gallbladder; cholecystectomy; intrahepatic gallbladder.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interests: The Authors declare that there are no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Intra-operative photo showing intrahepatic gallbladder with its fundus on the anterior surface of the liver
Figure 2
Figure 2
Intra-operative photo showing separation of the gallbladder from the liver
Figure 3
Figure 3
Post-operative specimen showing along cystic duct with a small stone impacted at its proximal end
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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