[Left-sided gallbladder]

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Anatomy
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Gallbladder transposition to the left side, in the absence of complete situs inversus viscerum, represents a rare congenital anomaly.
• This condition typically involves the gallbladder being located beneath the left lobe of the liver, specifically between segments IV and III or to the left of the falciform ligament.

Observation:

• A retrospective analysis of 2536 patients undergoing microlaparotomy cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallstone disease identified one case of left-sided gallbladder transposition.
• The prevalence of this anomaly in the studied cohort was 0.04%.
• Notably, the patient experienced right-sided biliary pain, despite the gallbladder's abnormal left-sided position.

Findings:

• Preoperative diagnosis of this gallbladder anomaly was not achieved, even with the use of preoperative sonography.
• The cystic duct's anomalous opening into the common hepatic duct, either on the right or left side, is a potential characteristic of this condition.
• Microlaparotomy cholecystectomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy were deemed safe procedures for this anomaly.

Implications:

• This case highlights the importance of considering rare anatomical variations in preoperative assessments for gallbladder disease.
• Despite unusual gallbladder positioning, standard surgical approaches like microlaparotomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy remain viable and safe.
• Further investigation into the diagnostic challenges and clinical presentation of gallbladder transposition is warranted.