Gallbladder and extrahepatic biliary duct injury following abdominal trauma

Extrahepatic biliary tract and gallbladder injuries are rare, but many occur after both blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma. During a 5-year period, 24 patients requiring laparotomy for abdominal trauma were found to have an extrahepatic biliary tract injury, representing 13 per cent of all patients admitted with hepatic trauma during the same period. The majority of patients had injury to the gallbladder; only one case of common bile duct injury was identified. Of the patients, 50 per cent had an associated hepatic injury; 17 per cent had important pancreatic trauma. Isolated gallbladder injury occurred in only 8 per cent of patients. The overall mortality associated with gallbladder trauma was 16 per cent. This uncommon injury usually results from severe trauma and is associated with a high incidence of other major visceral injuries.