Fatal abdominal hemorrhage associated with gallbladder perforation due to large gallstones

Largest case series of giant gallstones ever reported, and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Giant/large gallstones have high risk of complications, and technical difficulties during surgery. This case series is the largest ever reported.

PRESENTATION OF CASES

Case 1: Female (44 years), with one year intermittent right upper quadrant colicky pain. Ultrasound: large gallstone (normal gallbladder). Elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC): 6 × 4 × 3.3 cm gallstone. Case 2: Female (41 years), presented to emergency room with 3 days right upper quadrant pain/tenderness, vomiting, and positive murphy's sign. Ultrasound: large gallstone, calculus cholecystitis. Emergency LC: 4.5 × 3.1 × 3.5 cm gallstone. Case 3: Male (38 years), with history of gallstones and acute cholecystitis presented with intermittent right upper quadrant pain (2 months) and vomiting. Normal abdominal examination. Ultrasound: large gallstone. Elective LC: 4.1 × 4 × 3.6 cm gallstone.

CONCLUSIONS

Gallstones >5 cm are very rare, with higher risk of complications. Gallbladder should be removed even if asymptomatic. Gallstones >3 cm have increased risk for gallbladder cancer, biliary enteric fistula and ileus. LC has challenges that include grasping the gallbladder wall, exposure of Calot's triangle, and retrieval of gallbladder out of the abdomen. LC appears to be procedure of choice and should be performed by an experienced surgeon, considering the possibility of conversion to open cholecystectomy in case of inability to expose the anatomy or intraoperative difficulties.

Haemoperitoneum secondary to intrahepatic gallbladder perforation

A 70-year-old man presented to the accident and emergency department with a 1-day history of right upper quadrant pain and nausea. Examination revealed mild tenderness in the right upper quadrant but no evidence of peritonism or haemodynamic instability. The patient was admitted to the general surgical ward with a diagnosis of cholecystitis and remained stable overnight. In the morning, he developed acute severe pain in the upper abdomen. Examination found him to be tachycardic, tachypnoeic and to have peritonism in the upper abdomen. An urgent CT scan demonstrated cholecystitis but also a small amount of fluid in the pelvis, with Hounsfield units suggestive of blood. The patient proceeded to laparotomy and was found to have massive haemoperitoneum secondary to intrahepatic gallbladder perforation causing liver capsule tear. Cholecystectomy was performed and the liver packed until haemostasis was achieved. The patient made an uneventful recovery.