Torsion of the gallbladder: a systematic review
Daniel J Reilly1, George Kalogeropoulos, Dhan Thiruchelvam
1Hepatobiliary and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, Vic, Australia.
Background:
Gallbladder torsion is a rare disease, predominantly affecting elderly women. It is an important differential in the acute surgical abdomen.
Methods:
A total of 324 published case reports of torsion of the gallbladder were reviewed. Features in diagnostic imaging suggestive of torsion were reviewed and summarized.
Results:
Gallbladder torsion is primarily a disease of elderly people; the median age at presentation is 77 years. It is more common amongst women, occurring at a female : male ratio of 4 : 1, although not in childhood, when it occurs at a male : female ratio of 2.5 : 1.
Conclusions:
Improved imaging techniques within the last 20 years have enabled the preoperative diagnosis of one quarter of patients with gallbladder torsion. With prompt surgical intervention, the condition has an excellent prognosis.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Cholecystitis
01:17Gallbladder
The gallbladder's anatomy consists of three regions: the fundus, body, and neck. Extending from the neck, the cystic duct joins the common...
01:26Diseases of the Liver and Gallbladder
Cirrhosis is characterized by the scarring of hepatic lobules in the liver, which are replaced by fibrous tissue, affecting the liver's normal functioning. NAFLD, on the other hand, is caused by an excessive build-up of fat in the liver, not related to...
01:19Appendicitis