[Gallbladder duplication--laparoscopic cholecystectomy 17 years after open cholecystectomy].

INTRODUCTION

Duplication of the gallbladder is a rare congenital anomaly. An incidence of 2.5:10,000 has been published in autoptic studies.

METHODS

We carried out an analysis of the published case reports of the last 30 years to examine those cases in which an accessory gallbladder was pre- or intraoperatively detected or missed and to evaluate the implications of the time of diagnosis of the duplication on the surgical therapy.

RESULTS

28 case reports were analysed. If the duplication of the gallbladder was recognised pre-operatively or during operation, both gallbladders could be removed via laparoscopy in 80 % of the cases. Missing the second gallbladder can lead to persisting symptoms, postoperative complications as well as a recrudescence of the cholecystolithiasis with following reoperation. If a reoperation for a missed second gallbladder was necessary, only 14.3 % of these operations could be performed via laparoscopy.

CASE REPORT: We report the case of a missed gall-bladder duplication with an acute cholecystitis causing a reoperation 17 years after the initial operation. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy was possible even though the initial operation was performed through open surgery.

CONCLUSION

If recognised in preoperative examinations or during surgery a laparoscopic cholecystectomy of both gallbladders is possible in the majority of cases with duplicated gallbladder.