Intra-abdominal abscess from dropped gallstone: A case report

Abstract

Dropped gallstones are a common complication during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The formation of an abdominal abscess related to the dropped gallstones is rare because the majority of these calculi do not cause complications. Ultrasound is a usually used first-line imaging modality to detect gallstones in the abscess. CT scan may be used to confirm the diagnosis of abscess and for topographic analysis. We report the case of a lady presented to the emergency department 2 months after laparoscopic cholecystectomy; for acute cholecystitis; with acute abdomen and fever. Laboratory values revealed an elevated white blood cell count (WBC) and C-reactive protein concentration (CRP). The diagnosis of intra-abdominal abscess was evoked by ultrasound and contrast-enhanced CT, and confirmed by laparoscopy. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the importance of searching and recognizing dropped gallstone within collection, particularly in the context of previous laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Keywords

• Dropped gallbladder stones
• Abscess
• Ultrasound
• CT