A gallbladder torsion presenting as acute cholecystitis in an elderly woman: A case report

Abstract

Introduction. Gallbladder torsion is a rare, but potentially lethal disease, in which early recognition is crucial. Case presentation. We describe the case of an 89-year-old Caucasian woman who presented with clinical symptoms suggestive of acute cholecystitis to our hospital. Radiological imaging confirmed our clinical diagnosis. At first we considered percutaneous gallbladder drainage because of her age and comorbidity, but instead performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy because of rapid clinical deterioration. During laparoscopy a necrotic gallbladder due to torsion of the gallbladder around the cystic duct was found. Conclusion: Because percutaneous drainage could lead to further deterioration in the case of gallbladder torsion, this rare condition should be considered before performing a percutaneous drainage of cholecystitis. © 2011 Boer et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.