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Biliary pseudolithiasis in childhood: a case report
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey.
Insights
Pediatric cholelithiasis is rare, but ceftriaxone can cause reversible biliary pseudolithiasis. This condition mimics gallstones and resolves after antibiotic discontinuation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Pharmacology
- Hepatology
Background:
- Cholelithiasis in children is infrequent and often linked to predisposing conditions like biliary tract abnormalities or hemolytic diseases.
- The antibiotic ceftriaxone has been recently identified as a potential cause of gallbladder precipitation, mimicking gallstones.
Observation:
- This paper details a pediatric case of biliary pseudolithiasis.
- The patient developed this condition after six days of ceftriaxone treatment.
Findings:
- Biliary pseudolithiasis, a reversible complication, was observed in the patient.
- The condition resolved completely within eleven days after ceftriaxone therapy was stopped.
Implications:
- This highlights the importance of considering medication side effects in pediatric cholelithiasis diagnosis.
- It suggests conservative management and monitoring for reversible causes before considering surgical intervention like cholecystectomy.
Abstract:
Cholelithiasis is uncommon in childhood and usually associated with any predisposing factors such as congenital abnormalities of biliary tract, hemolytic diseases, TPN administration and diseases of terminal ileum. Recent studies demonstrated ceftriaxone inducing reversible precipitations in gallbladder that mimic cholelithiasis. This complication is termed "biliary pseudolithiasis" or "reversible cholelithiasis". In this paper we describe a patient who developed biliary pseudolithiasis after six days of ceftriaxone therapy which completely resolved eleven days after the end of the treatment, and discuss the indication for cholecystectomy.