[Gallbladder agenesis. Case report].

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Anatomy
• Congenital Abnormalities

Background:

• Gallbladder agenesis is an exceedingly rare congenital malformation of the biliary tract.
• Diagnosis is typically made intraoperatively due to the failure of all preoperative imaging modalities.
• This article presents a case of surgically diagnosed gallbladder agenesis, its management, and a literature review.

Observation:

• A 62-year-old female presented with recurrent biliary colic symptoms.
• Preoperative abdominal ultrasound suggested cholelithiasis.
• The gallbladder was not identified during surgical exploration.

Findings:

• Intra-operative cholangiography confirmed the diagnosis of gallbladder agenesis.
• Preoperative diagnostic workup failed to identify this rare congenital anomaly.
• Gallbladder agenesis presents a diagnostic challenge, often discovered unexpectedly during surgery.

Implications:

• Suspected gallbladder agenesis during surgery warrants abandoning the procedure to avoid bile duct injury.
• Confirmation via cholangio-magnetic resonance imaging is recommended postoperatively.
• Surgeons must maintain a high index of suspicion for gallbladder agenesis when encountering unusual anatomy or difficult dissections to prevent iatrogenic complications.