Agenesis of the gallbladder with adipose tissue in the gallbladder fossa.

Agenesis of the gallbladder with normal bile ducts is a rare anomaly. More cases have been reported preoperatively because of the increased awareness of this entity. However some cases remain difficult to diagnosis. We report such a case. A symptomatic male patient (age 45) was diagnosed with chronic atrophic cholecystitis and cholecystlithiasis by ultrasonography and computed tomography scan. The images revealed solid tissue in the gallbladder fossa. However, during laparoscopic exploration no gallbladder or ectopic gallbladder was found. Only adipose tissue and the gallbladder artery were identified during the operation. Gallbladder agenesis was diagnosed postoperatively. It still remains a challenge to determine surgical intervention in these cases.