Incidentally detected gallbladder agenesis in a child: the importance of identifying anatomic structure

Jung, Jae Hun; Suh, Hyo Rim; Lee, Dong Eun; Choe, Jae Young; Lee, So Mi; Kang, Ben; Choe, Byung-Ho

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 30(4); 2019 > Article

Case Report

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2019;30(4): 366-370.

Incidentally detected gallbladder agenesis in a child: the importance of identifying anatomic structure

¹Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
²Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
³Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea

Correspondence

Jae Young Choe ,Tel: 053-200-6400, Fax: 053-428-2820, Email: choejy@hanmail.net,

Received: January 28, 2019; Revised: April 2, 2019 Accepted: April 7, 2019. Published online: August 30, 2019.

ABSTRACT

The absence of a gallbladder is a very rare anomaly. While it is usually asymptomatic, it can cause biliary colic symptoms. For these reasons, gallbladder agenesis can be misdiagnosed as a hepatobiliary disease and is diagnosed correctly after surgery. This condition may also be detected through an autopsy for other causative diseases. Abdominal ultrasonography is used as a diagnostic method to detect gallbladder agenesis. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and endoscopic cholangiopancreatography are also used to make a more accurate diagnosis. In the emergency room, however, gallbladder agenesis can still be misdiagnosed as acute or chronic cholecystitis, leading to the detection of gallbladder agenesis in the operating room. Although some cases of gallbladder agenesis detected in adults during surgery have been reported in Korea, there are no reports of gallbladder agenesis in pediatric patients to date. This paper reports a case of gallbladder agenesis in a symptomatic child that was detected incidentally by a radiographic examination.

Key words: Gallbladder agenesis; Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography; Pediatrics