An atypical presentation of intrahepatic perforated cholecystitis: a modern indication to open cholecystectomy. Report of a case

Formation and rupture of liver hematomas caused by intrahepatic gallbladder perforation: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Gallbladder perforation is a serious complication of acute cholecystitis. Such perforation is a rare but life-threatening situation that can lead to the formation and rupture of liver hematomas. Here, we report a case of a ruptured intrahepatic hematoma caused by intrahepatic gallbladder perforation, and we present a literature review.

CASE SUMMARY

A 70-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with a complaint of right upper quadrant abdominal pain, flustering and dizziness. The preoperative diagnosis was a ruptured malignant liver tumor, and the patient's medical images and increased level of carbohydrate antigen-199 suggested that the gallbladder had been invaded. However, the tumor was proven to be a liver hematoma secondary to gallbladder perforation after surgery. The patient was discharged uneventfully on the fifteenth postoperative day.

CONCLUSION

Intrahepatic gallbladder perforation is difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Radiological examinations play a crucial role in the diagnosis but only for partial cases. Early diagnosis and appropriate surgery are key to managing this rare condition.

Pyogenic Liver Abscess Complicating Acute Cholecystitis: Different Management Options

Acute cholecystitis, which is usually associated with gallstones is one of the most common surgical causes of emergency hospital admission and may be further complicated by mural necrosis, perforation and abscess formation. Perforation of the gallbladder is a relatively uncommon complication of acute cholecystitis (0.8–3.2% in recent reviews). The intrahepatic perforation causing a liver abscess is an extremely rare condition, anecdotally reported in the scientific literature, even in the rare types of subacute or acute perforation. Liver abscess caused by gallbladder perforation can be a life-threatening complication with a reported mortality of 5.6%. The treatment of synchronous pyogenic liver abscess and acute cholecystitis may be challenging. We reported three cases of liver abscess due to acute cholecystitis in which different therapeutical approaches were employed. The first case was treated with antibiotics and interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy; the second case was treated with emergency cholecystectomy; and the third case with percutaneous aspiration of the abscess only. The appropriate therapeutical method in these cases depends on the patient’s clinical condition, the on-site expertise that is available in the hospital, and the experience of the surgeon.

A Rare Case of Simultaneous Intrahepatic and Porcelain Gallbladder: Case Report

Intrahepatic gallbladder is a rare anomaly that is due to the failure of gallbladder migration from liver to its proper position. This condition increases the risk of cholelithiasis, hepatic abscess and cholangiocarcinoma. Calcification in the wall of the gallbladder, which is known as porcelain gallbladder, also increases the risk of malignancy. In this report a 47-year-old man presented at the emergency department with continuous right upper quadrant abdominal pain who was misdiagnosed with acute cholecystitis. During abdominal surgery, gallbladder was not detectable in its proper location. Therefore, the patient underwent enhanced abdominal computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and the results showed an intrahepatic porcelain gallbladder. In order to avoid future complications, intrahepatic gallbladder should always be considered in patients whose physical examination and radiologic findings do not match.

Laparoscopic management of intra-hepatic gallbladder perforation

Intra-hepatic perforation of the gallbladder (GB) leading to hepatic abscess is a serious and rare complication of cholecystitis, with very few sporadically reported cases in the literature. Hence, there is no standard approach to treat it. A thorough radiological evaluation with computed tomography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is necessary before proceeding with surgery in such cases. An early laparoscopic intervention to perform a sub-total cholecystectomy with drain placement is enough to treat both cholecystitis and liver abscess in a definitive manner. While previous reports have advocated an open surgery, our series demonstrates that early laparoscopic management is a safe and suitable approach in such cases.

Sonographic Findings of Gallbladder Perforation With Hepatic Abscesses

Gallbladder perforation is a complication of gallbladder disease. There are high morbidity and mortality rates, and it is believed that this is due to the delay in diagnosis and when the condition is managed conservatively. Sonography combined with computed tomography can be used to identify gallbladder perforation and the presence of hepatic abscesses. Sonographic findings for gallbladder perforation may include the presence of a stone outside of the gallbladder, an obvious defect in the gallbladder wall, and other signs such as distended gallbladder, thickened gallbladder wall, striated appearance of the gallbladder wall, gallstones, debris/sludge, and adjacent abscesses. It is important for a sonographer to recognize these signs so that prompt treatment can be initiated. This case presents the sonographic and computed tomography findings of a type II perforated gallbladder as a result of a large stone that eroded into the liver with the subsequent development of two hepatic abscesses.

Endoscopic cystic duct stent as primary treatment for intrahepatic gallbladder perforation with abscess formation

Intrahepatic gallbladder perforation with abscess formation is an uncommon presentation of biliary disease. There is no consensus on how to treat this condition, with strategies varying from percutaneous drainage to open cholecystectomy and washout. We present a case of a novel, minimally invasive treatment, using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to place a transcystic drain as a bridge to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

How to apply clinical cases and medical literature in the framework of a modified "failure mode and effects analysis" as a clinical reasoning tool--an illustration using the human biliary system

BACKGROUND

Clinicians use various clinical reasoning tools such as Ishikawa diagram to enhance their clinical experience and reasoning skills. Failure mode and effects analysis, which is an engineering methodology in origin, can be modified and applied to provide inputs into an Ishikawa diagram.

METHOD

The human biliary system is used to illustrate a modified failure mode and effects analysis. The anatomical and physiological processes of the biliary system are reviewed. Failure is defined as an abnormality caused by infective, inflammatory, obstructive, malignancy, autoimmune and other pathological processes. The potential failures, their effect(s), main clinical features, and investigation that can help a clinician to diagnose at each anatomical part and physiological process are reviewed and documented in a modified failure mode and effects analysis table. Relevant medical and surgical cases are retrieved from the medical literature and weaved into the table.

RESULTS

A total of 80 clinical cases which are relevant to the modified failure mode and effects analysis for the human biliary system have been reviewed and weaved into a designated table. The table is the backbone and framework for further expansion. Reviewing and updating the table is an iterative and continual process. The relevant clinical features in the modified failure mode and effects analysis are then extracted and included in the relevant Ishikawa diagram.

CONCLUSIONS

This article illustrates an application of engineering methodology in medicine, and it sows the seeds of potential cross-pollination between engineering and medicine. Establishing a modified failure mode and effects analysis can be a teamwork project or self-directed learning process, or a mix of both. Modified failure mode and effects analysis can be deployed to obtain inputs for an Ishikawa diagram which in turn can be used to enhance clinical experiences and clinical reasoning skills for clinicians, medical educators, and students.

Minimally invasive management of intrahepatic type II gallbladder perforation: a case report

Intrahepatic gallbladder perforation (GBP) is a rare medical entity, which creates a cholecystohepatic communication. We describe the case of a 70-year-old patient who presented with abdominal pain and a Niemeier type II GBP. This case report illustrates the minimally invasive management of a rare and life-threatening pathology.

Spontaneous acalculous gallbladder perforation

An 86-year-old woman, 4 days post-operative following a right-sided Austin-Moore arthroplasty, reported abdominal pain around a known umbilical hernia and became increasingly confused. A diagnosis of incarcerated umbilical hernia was made. At surgery, on entering the peritoneal cavity, bile was immediately noted. The operation was converted to a laparotomy and a perforation was noted in the gallbladder. An open cholecystectomy was performed. Macroscopically the gallbladder was perforated in multiple places, was thin walled and did not contain gallstones. This case demonstrates the difficulty in diagnosing an apparently spontaneous gallbladder perforation in a cognitively frail patient.