Congenital absence of gallbladder.
10.3349/ymj.1992.33.4.364
- Author:
Chang Hwan CHO
1
;
Kwang Wook SUH
;
Jin Sik MIN
;
Choon Kyu KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Congenital absence of gallbladder
- MeSH:
Bile Duct Diseases/etiology/surgery;
Diagnostic Techniques, Surgical;
Gallbladder/*abnormalities;
Human;
Radiography, Abdominal;
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
- From:Yonsei Medical Journal
1992;33(4):364-367
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Nine surgically proven congenital absence of gallbladder (CAGB) cases were reviewed. All of them had one or more kinds of biliary symptom. Tests such as abdominal ultrasonography, intravenous or oral cholecystography and even endoscopic retrograde cholangiography not only failed to predict CAGB but misleadingly indicated other similar conditions. Only the abdominal computed tomography (CT), performed on one patient, enabled the accurate diagnosis of CAGB. All the patients underwent abdominal exploration, and CAGB was confirmed by the meticulous dissection of the entire extrahepatic biliary tree and the operative cholangiography. Five patients had concomitant biliary pathologies responsible for their symptoms, but four patients had isolated CAGB. CAGB is a rarely encountered condition for a clinician, but extensive diagnostic work-ups including abdominal CT should be performed in all situations where CAGB is suspected. Thus unnecessary exploration can be avoided in the isolated CAGB case.
