[Gallbladder tuberculosis associated with cholelithiasis]

Tuberculosis of the gallbladder is rare, even in our country known for being an endemic area. The positive diagnosis depends on suspicion of tuberculosis, peroperative findings and histological examination. From a review of the literature, the physiopathology of this infection is discussed, emphasizing the role of lithiasis in the development of tuberculous lesions. The authors report a case of gallbladder tuberculosis in a female patient who presented with a clinical picture of chronic cholelithiasis. The diagnosis of gallbladder tuberculosis was reached only after surgery and proven by histopathology. In our case, the presence of stones associated with non specific inflammatory alterations and possibly low resistance against tubercle bacillus, is believed to have been of importance for the development of the tuberculous infection.