Gallbladder injury in a catatrauma patient: a clinical case

Abstract

Gallbladder trauma is a rare medical emergency in abdominal surgery because of its anatomic location. Gallbladder injury occurs in only 1.9%-2.1% of cases with abdominal traumas, with an isolated injury being ten times rarer. Despite the different mechanisms of injury, intravesical hypertension is the most important factor contributing to gallbladder rupture. A fall from a height is a rare cause of gallbladder injury, with only a few cases described in the literature. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the most common primary treatment. In the present case report, we present the diagnosis and management of a patient with a rare combined trauma. The patient was polytraumatized but had an isolated gallbladder injury in the absence of other abdominal injuries. Modern diagnostic methods, primarily ultrasound, can be critical in determining the best treatment strategy. 

Keywords

• blunt abdominal trauma
• combined trauma
• catatraum