A Case of Hypoplastic Gallbladder Associated with Choledocholithiasis

Tomoaki Maruta, Masahiro Ohtake, Keisuke Suehiro and Keisuke Yoshida

Department of Surgery, Nippon Dental University School of Dental at Niigata

We report a case of hypoplastic gallbladder associated choledocholithiasis. A 62 year-old woman with Symptom-Free liver dysfunction was found by abdominal ultrasonography to have choledocholithiasis and referred to our hospital for surgery. On admission to the hospital, laboratory data were within the normal range. Drip infusion cholangiography showed dilatation of the common bile duct and choledocholithiasis. The gallbladder could not be seen clearly. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed no problem but was still unable to picture the gallbladder. We operated under a diagnosis of choledocholithiasis and atrophic cholecystitis. The gallbladder was hypoplastic, and we conducted cholecystectomy and choledocholithotomy. A congenital absence of the gallbladder or a hypoplastic gallbladder are relatively rare, but should be considered, if the gallbladder cannot be seen.

Key words
hypoplastic gallbladder, choledocholithiasis, congenital absence of the gallbladder

Reprint requests
Tomoaki Maruta Department of Surgery, Nippon Dental University School of Dental at Niigata 1-8 Hamaura-cho, Niigata, 951-8580 JAPAN

Accepted
September 19, 2001

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