A rare congenital anomaly of the bile duct: Gallbladder agenesis

Gallbladder agenesis

Abstract

Gallbladder agenesis (GA) is a very rare biliary tract anomaly. Between 50% and 70% of patients are asymptomatic. It is usually diagnosed during the radiological examination of patients with dyspeptic complaints or during the operation. In this study, a 55-year-old female patient presented at our clinic for dyspepsia and was diagnosed with gallbladder agenesis. The patient was admitted to the clinic with complaints of epigastric pain, which did not correspond with times of fasting or fullness. There was no disease or complaint in the patient's history. Cholestasis enzymes, bilirubin and other laboratory values were normal. Abdominal ultrasonography (US) performed with the preliminary diagnosis of cholelithiasis revealed that there was no gallbladder. Gallbladder agenesis was detected in the magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) examination. The patient was followed up and no surgical intervention was performed. The possibility of other bile duct anomalies, such as choledochal cysts and stones is high in patients with GA. These anomalies can be confused with the gallbladder in abdominal US. The risk of injury to the biliary tract, small intestine, hepatic artery, and portal vein is higher as a result of additional dissections to find the gallbladder in surgical interventions performed in patients with GA. It may be important to keep in mind the rarity of gallbladder agenesis in order to avoid unnecessary surgical interventions, such as laparoscopy and laparotomy, for patients presenting with signs of acute cholecystitis.