[Gallbladder agenesis, a rare congenital disorder].

HISTORY AND ADMISSION
FINDINGS: A 51-year-old woman presented with right upper abdominal discomfort for three weeks. Her medical history revealed a lower abdominal gynecological laparoscopy and an ileocaecal resection 7 years ago. INVESTIGATIONS: Blood samples including liver enzymes were within normal limits. An upper abdominal ultrasound failed to reveal a gallbladder. An MRI with MR-cholangiography confirmed the abscence of a gallbladder, thus the diagnosis of a gallbladder agenesis. TREATMENT AND COURSE: The patient was informed about the benign nature of her diagnosis and was discharged. The right upper abdominal discomfort was mild and untypical, and most probably not caused by the gallbladder agenesis.
CONCLUSION: Gallbladder agenesis is rare. The congenital disorder has to be taken into account if no gallbladder can be found during imaging or surgery. Sonography is not the adequate method for diagnosing gallbladder agenesis. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.