Gallbladder injury in blunt abdominal trauma.

A 36-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital for an abdominal blunt trauma. At ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT), a gallbladder lesion was suspected, along with a tear of the liver. The patient was submitted to a diagnostic laparoscopy. The gallbladder was partially avulsed and bile was infiltrated in the hepatoduodenal ligament. Intraoperative cholangiography and Kocher's maneuver excluded other lesions. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed, but due to severe hemorrhage from the liver tear, the operation was converted to an open procedure. Gallbladder lesions in blunt trauma are rare occurrences, but they are often associated with other organ injuries. US and CT scan are valuable for their diagnosis, but if a lesion is suspected, diagnostic laparoscopy is advisable in stable patients. It should be accompanied by a cystic duct cholangiography and a Kocher's maneuver to evaluate the integrity of the biliary tree. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is generally feasible. Associated lesions require laparotomy when they are not amenable to laparoscopic treatment.