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Over Three Hundred Gallstones Removed Through Difficult Cholecystectomy - A Case Report
Insights
This case report highlights acute cholecystitis in a 49-year-old male, emphasizing that clinical examination, lab tests, and ultrasound are key for diagnosing gallstones. Surgical intervention, cholecystectomy, remains the primary treatment for symptomatic gallstone disease.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Cholelithiasis, or gallstones, is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder with significant global healthcare costs.
- Cholesterol hypersaturation is the main driver of gallstone formation, with age and female sex traditionally recognized as key risk factors.
- Emerging research indicates a strong correlation between obesity and cholesterol gallstones.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a case of acute cholecystitis in a middle-aged male patient.
- To underscore the diagnostic utility of clinical examination, laboratory analysis, and abdominal ultrasound.
- To reinforce the role of cholecystectomy in managing symptomatic gallstone disease.
Main Methods:
- A case report detailing a 49-year-old male presenting with acute right upper quadrant abdominal pain.
- Diagnostic methods included physical examination, abdominal ultrasound, and laboratory analyses.
- Surgical intervention (cholecystectomy) was performed.
Main Results:
- The patient was diagnosed with acute cholecystitis.
- Surgical findings revealed a thickened gallbladder wall with gangrenous mucosa and over 300 gallstones.
- The gallstones ranged in size from 2 mm to 5 mm.
Conclusions:
- Clinical assessment, laboratory results, and abdominal ultrasound are definitive diagnostic modalities for gallstones.
- Cholecystectomy is the established treatment for both symptomatic and asymptomatic gallstone disease.
- This case illustrates the importance of timely diagnosis and surgical management of acute cholecystitis.
Abstract:
Background: Cholelithiasis is a common gastrointestinal condition that significantly burdens healthcare systems worldwide. The primary cause of gallstone production is cholesterol hypersaturation. Age and female sex are considered more potent risk factors than other factors, but recent studies presented strong associations between cholesterol gallstones and obesity. Case report: We present a case of a 49-year-old male patient with acute onset intensive abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant. Physical examination, abdominal ultrasound, and laboratory analyses confirmed the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. The cholecystectomy was done and was found a thickened gall bladder wall with gangrenous mucosa and over 300 gallstones sizes ranging from 2 mm to 5 mm inside it. Conclusions: Clinical examination of the patient, laboratory analyses, and abdominal ultrasound diagnoses are gold-standard diagnostic tools. The mainstay of treatment of symptomatic and asymptotic gallstone diseases is surgery, cholecystectomy.
