Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a patient with empyema of the gallbladder and situs inversus

The successful performance of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a patient with situs inversus viscerum and empyema of the gallbladder is reported. The 62-year-old man presented with pain in the left upper quadrant associated with fever, chills, nausea and vomiting. The abdomen was tender with guarding and a palpable globular mass in the same region. CT scan demonstrated a distended gallbladder with thick shaggy walls which contained a 2 cm gallstone in the neck and also revealed dextrocardia and situs inversus. The patient's postoperative recovery was uneventful.