Symptomatic duplicated gall bladder – A rare presentation with a review of the literature

Abstract

Gallbladder duplication is a rare congenital anomaly. Knowledge of its various types is important since it can complicate cholecystectomy. Many varieties of gall bladder duplication and its classification are reported in the literature. Pre-operative diagnosis plays a crucial role in the planning of surgery and preventing possible injuries or re-operation if the accessory gallbladder has been overlooked during the initial surgery. Gallbladder duplication though rare requires special attention to pre-operative anatomy and its variation. The operative challenge is more than the usual laparoscopic cholecystectomy and should be done by fundus first approach by an experienced laparoscopic surgeon. We report a case of a 44-year-old -male who presented with biliary colic. His pre-operative imaging confirmed the diagnosis of the duplicated gall bladder, and he underwent successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Keywords

• cholecystectomy
• duplication
• gall bladder
• laparoscopy