Rare case report of acalculous cholecystitis: Gallbladder torsion resulting in rupture

Abstract

Acalculous cholecystitis caused by gallbladder torsion is a rare condition. Only 500 cases have been reported since the first diagnosed case in 1898. We present the case of a 89-year-old woman with sudden onset of severe epigastric pain, radiating across her right costal margin, associated with nausea. Her abdomen was soft, mildly distended, Murphy’s negative but with epigastric tenderness and palpable mass. Computed tomography and ultrasound demonstrated significant acute cholecystitis, with the common bile duct measuring 7 mm. Due to the patients’ comorbidities, conservative treatment was initiated, until she was becoming increasing worse, so a laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed. The operation revealed gallbladder torsion causing complete gallbladder necrosis and perforation with intraperitoneal biliary spillage. Gallbladder torsion should be a high differential if an elderly female patient presenting with sudden onset of abdominal pain, tender epigastric/right upper quadrant mass and a distended gallbladder on imaging. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy must be performed promptly to reduce the likelihood of gallbladder rupture and reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with this condition.