A blunt gallbladder trauma: a rare and easily overlooked case report

Abstract

The rate of gallbladder injury in the setting of blunt abdominal trauma is ∼2%. Furthermore, an isolated gallbladder injury in a case with blunt trauma is even rarer. A 16-year-old female patient fell from the third floor of a secondary school building and was admitted to the Emergency Department with traumatic shock, and multiple organ injuries including head injury, spinal fracture, femur fracture, and blunt abdominal trauma. The patient received initial first aid and diagnostic tests, including blood tests, abdominal ultrasound, and contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography, which revealed a gallbladder injury and free abdominal air. Diagnostic laparoscopy identified a gallbladder hematoma, with no hollow organ rupture. Open surgery was performed to examine the duodenum and digestive tract, revealing no additional organ injuries. The gallbladder was removed, and the patient recovered without complications by day 6 postoperatively, before being transferred for orthopedic surgery.