Giant Gallbladder Presenting as a Right Iliac Fossa Mass Removed by Mini-laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Abstract

Giant gallbladder (GGB) is a rare condition that can result from cholelithiasis or chronic cholecystitis. Although there are no clear-cut definitions, gallbladders of >14 cm and ≥1.5 L have been regarded as GGBs. To date, most GGBs have been managed by laparotomic removal. This report describes a patient with a GGB that presented as a right iliac fossa mass. The GGB was successfully removed by mini-laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A 63-year-old woman presented with painful swelling in her right lower abdomen associated with dyspepsia and a palpable right iliac fossa mass. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed a markedly enlarged gall bladder (19.5 x 5.4 x 5.6 cm) containing stones. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography ruled out extra- and intrahepatic ductal dilatation and stones. She underwent a mini-laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and her postoperative recovery was uneventful.