Spontaneous cholecystocutaneous fistula draining from an abdominal scar from previous surgical drainage

We present a rare case of cholecystocutaneous fistula draining from an old surgical scar in the right upper abdominal quadrant following chronic calculous cholecystitis. A 71 year old male presented to the emergency department with a persistent bilious drainage from an old surgical scare, from surgical drainage, of the right upper abdominal quadrant for about a week. Cultures from the draining fluid grew Staphylococcus hominis, Escherichia coli and Klebsilla pneumoniae and tigecycline 50 mg twice a day was administrated intravenously to the patient according to sensitivity results. An abdominal US revealed the presence the gallbladder with calculi in a superficial position and the fistulogram revealed a cholecystocytaneous fistula arising from the fundus of the gallbladder. At laparotomy a fistula track was found connecting the gallbladder fundus to the skin, which was dissected and a cholecystectomy was performed. Spontaneous cholecystocutaneous fistula is rarely observed today, mostly as a complication of chronic calculous cholecystitis. Most often it arises from the gallbladder fundus and the clinical presentation is that of a painless draining sinus tract in the right upper quadrant. Diagnosis is aided by abdominal CT scan and ultrasound and treatment is with elective cholecystectomy and excision of the fistula.