Perforation of the gall bladder following blunt abdominal trauma

A 66-year-old man presented after having been involved in a motor vehicle accident. He was not wearing his seatbelt, and his vehicle had a deformed steering wheel after the incident. In the emergency department, his only complaint was mild right lower quadrant abdominal pain without signs of rebound or guarding. His laboratory and radiologic evaluations were unremarkable and he was observed in the intensive care unit. Nine hours after the accident, he developed an acute abdomen; exploratory laparotomy revealed a perforation of the gall bladder. Gall bladder injuries secondary to blunt trauma are infrequent events.