Chronic Granulomatous schistosomal cholecystitis in Non-endemic zone, a rare one: A case report

Moynihan's aphorism that "gall stone is a tomb stone erected in the memory of the organism with in it" is true even today. This case could be an example to reemphasise the forementioned axiom. We present here a case of Chronic Granulomatous Schistosomal cholecystitis which is an unusually rare cause of Cholecystitis and cholelithiasis, that too in a non-endemic area. The patient has never ever visited the known endemic zones of Schistosomiasis or Bilharziasis areas in India. In a way it could be the first case report of schistosomiasis in this area.

A 59-year-old female patient presented to the Out-patient department of SMS&R, Sharda university, with right hypochondriac region pain and dyspepsia of six months duration. Investigation revealed Chronic Cholecystitis with Cholelithiasis. After a thorough workup the patient was taken up for Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which was converted to open cholecystectomy due to adhesions and to prevent any iatrogenic injury to the biliary tree. Histopathological examination revealed Chronic Granulomatous Schistosomal Cholecystitis with Cholelithiasis. Patient did well in the post-operative period with anti-helminthic treatment.

Literature is still undecided whether the Schistosomal eggs deposition in the gallbladder can cause an episode of acute cholecystitis. However, a lithogenic outcome of schistosomiasis secondary to the induction of chronic granulomatous and fibrocalcific changes of the gallbladder and biliary ducts wall, seems probable.