Comprehensive review: types, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and surgical management of ectopic gallbladder

Ectopic gallbladder (EGB) is a rare condition where the gallbladder is located in an unusual position. EGB can be left-sided, intrahepatic, suprahepatic, transverse, or retroplaced. While often asymptomatic, EGB can present with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Our study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of EGB, outlining its different types, embryological origins, possible associated syndromes, available diagnostic approaches, and recommendations for diagnosis and surgical management. Our review identified a total of 122 case reports, 21 case series, 2 brief reports, and 4 letters to the editor, encompassing 206 patients with ectopic gallbladder. The dominant type of EGB was left-sided, accounting for 54.9% of cases. No apparent gender correlation was found. Most patients (81.6%) were symptomatic; only 18.4% were diagnosed incidentally. Abdominal pain and discomfort were the most common manifestations. EGB is typically symptomatic only when related gallbladder pathology occurs. Diagnosis cannot be reliably made via physical exam alone. While pre-operative diagnosis was made in 41.2 % of cases, 48.6% were diagnosed intraoperatively. Due to the limited sensitivity of ultrasound in detecting EGB variants, contrast-enhanced CT and MRCP became the preferred diagnostic tools for preoperative diagnosis due to their higher sensitivity. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) remains the optimal surgical approach, especially when advanced technologies are available. The majority of patients underwent laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgical approaches have emerged as the optimal surgical treatment.