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Case Rep Surg 2020 4;2020:8687141. Epub 2020 Jan 4.

Departments of Surgery, Gastroenterology and Medical Imaging, Charles-LeMoyne Hospital, Greenfield Park, Canada.

Torsion or volvulus of the gallbladder is a rare situation that rapidly progresses to gangrene and linked with a poor prognosis, even death, if unrecognized and untreated. An interesting and rare case of gallbladder volvulus in which diagnosis was obtained by comparing CT images and HIDA scan with SPECT-CT is presented. Relevant literature is reviewed, and recommendations are outlined. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2019 Dec 16;20:1879-1882. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

Department of Surgery, Lebanese American University Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.

BACKGROUND Gallbladder torsion is a rare entity of acute abdomen that can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated promptly. It presents in a multitude of ways but the most common is a presentation similar to acute cholecystitis. Diagnosis can be made clinically by abdominal ultrasound with Doppler flow, and treatment is detorsion with cholecystectomy. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2019 Oct 5;20:1466-1470. Epub 2019 Oct 5.

Department of General Surgery, Saint Charles Hospital, Fayadieh, Lebanon.

BACKGROUND Gall bladder volvulus is a rare clinical entity, with only around 500 cases reported in the literature. It is defined as the rotation of the gallbladder on its mesentery along the axis of the cystic pedicle, although cases of torsion of the gallbladder fundus itself have been reported. CASE REPORT A 78-year-old woman presented for severe right upper-quadrant abdominal pain that began acutely 3 days prior. Read More

Cir Cir 2019 ;87(S1):58-61

Alta Especialidad en Radiología Pediátrica, Posgrado, Universidad Autónoma de México. Ciudad de México, México.

Introduction: Gallbladder volvulus is a rare and difficult to diagnose pediatric entity, its delayed treatment leads to complications. A 9 months old male case solved by laparoscopy is reported.

Case Report: Twelve hours of development with irritability, vomiting and fever. Read More

Case Rep Surg 2019 14;2019:2189890. Epub 2019 Jul 14.

Division of General, Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 S. Wood Street, Suite 435E (MC 958), Chicago, IL 60612, USA.

Gallbladder volvulus (GV) is an axial twisting of the gallbladder (GB). If not treated on time, this condition has a mortality up to 6%. It is usually diagnosed intraoperatively, because it can mimic a typical acute cholecystitis. Read More

J Surg Case Rep 2019 Jul 31;2019(7):rjz221. Epub 2019 Jul 31.

Department of General Surgery, UPMC Pinnacle Community Osteopathic Hospital, 4300 Londonderry Rd, Harrisburg, PA, USA.

Gallbladder volvulus is a rare condition with similar presentation to acute cholecystitis. It is caused by the gallbladder twisting upon its mesentery leading to potential ischemia and biliary obstruction. A 77-year-old female presented with symptoms of right upper quadrant pain and nausea. Read More

Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci 2019 Apr-Jun;9(2):87-90

Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Gallbladder volvulus is a rare condition that most commonly occurs in elderly women and often mimics acute cholecystitis in its presentation. This condition is a surgical emergency requiring cholecystectomy as it can lead to gallbladder perforation and bilious peritonitis with high morbidity to the patient. An 85-year-old woman with chronic lymphocytic leukemia presented with acute-onset right upper-quadrant abdominal pain and associated nausea with emesis. Read More

Int J Surg Case Rep 2019 27;60:75-78. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Hopital Sahloul, Sousse, Tunisia. Electronic address:

Introduction: Gallbladder volvulus (GV) is a rare disease with less than 400 cases reported in the English literature. The pre-operative diagnosis of GV is difficult as none of the imaging modalities are accurate. Once diagnosed, the mainstay of treatment is emergency surgical derotation and cholecystectomy. Read More

J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019 07 14;34(7):1133. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Avranches-Granville, Avranches, France.

Cureus 2018 Dec 13;10(12):e3726. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Surgery, Redland Hospital, Brisbane, AUS.

Gallbladder torsion is a rare cause for acute cholecystitis. Gallbladder torsion is unlikely to respond to conservative management and requires urgent surgical intervention. We report a case of an 85-year-old female with gallbladder torsion. Read More

Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2018 Dec 13;36:231-234. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Department of Surgery, University Hospital Hairmyres, NHS Lanarkshire, East Kilbride, G75 8RG, Scotland, UK.

Introduction: Unexplained lactic acidosis (LA) in a critically ill patient often prompts investigations to rule out any reversible intra-abdominal cause. Equivocal results can lead to an emergency laparotomy (EL) with subsequent high morbidity and mortality rates. Our objective was to determine the clinical impact of urgent diagnostic laparoscopy (UDL) in such patients. Read More

J Surg Case Rep 2018 Nov 19;2018(11):rjy303. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

General Surgery, Manly Hospital, 150 Darley Road Manly Sydney, Manly, New South Wales, Australia.

A Caucasian 92-year-old female was admitted to hospital with acute epigastric pain associated with vomiting. Initial investigations revealed mildly raised inflammatory markers, normal liver function tests but a markedly distended gallbladder with prominent wall thickening. The patient was managed with intravenous antibiotics for acute cholecystitis but deteriorated significantly on Day 2 of admission. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Jun 8;2018. Epub 2018 Jun 8.

Radiology, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar.

Gallbladder volvulus (GBV) due to rotation of the gall bladder (GB) around its own mesentery is a rare surgical emergency and often identified intraoperatively. Typically, cholecystitis is the initial clinical diagnosis, but a high index of suspicion on imaging can alert the physician for the possibility of GBV requiring urgent surgical intervention. We describe a case of a young female patient with hypoplasia/atrophy of the posterior segment of the right liver lobe and a GB with no hepatic attachments but only mesenteric pedicle. Read More

Rozhl Chir Fall 2017;96(7):309-312

Introduction: Volvulus of the gallbladder is one of very rare diseases ranked among acute abdomen conditions. Only case reports are described in the literature. The disease presents with acute biliary ailments, often reminiscent of acute cholecystitis. Read More

Case Rep Surg 2017 30;2017:3906042. Epub 2017 Apr 30.

Surgery Department, CHU Besançon, 25000 Besançon, France.

Gallbladder volvulus is a rare disease and can lead to an acute cholecystitis. We report the case of an elderly woman with a gallbladder volvulus, diagnosed at CT scan and treated by surgery and endoscopic sphincterotomy. Read More

Am Surg 2017 Jan;83(1):e11-12

Department of Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialties, General and Oncologic Surgery Unit, Vittorio-Emanuele University Hospital of Catania, University of Catania, Italy.

Cir Cir 2017 Dec 10;85 Suppl 1:89-92. Epub 2016 Dec 10.

Departamento de Cirugía General, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, España.

Background: The gallbladder volvulus is defined as the rotation of the gallbladder on its mesentery along the axis of the cystic duct and cystic artery. It is an extremely rare surgical disease and definitive diagnosis is usually made during surgery.

Case Report: A 78 year old woman presented with upper right quadrant abdominal pain, with no comorbidities and no other accompanying symptoms. Read More

Case Rep Surg 2016 22;2016:5626531. Epub 2016 Sep 22.

Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

Gallbladder volvulus is a rare, potentially fatal condition unless diagnosed and treated early. Choledochal cysts are rare congenital malformations of the biliary tree predisposing to different pathologies and posing the risk of degradation into cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer. Dealing with both diseases at once has not been published yet in the literature. Read More

West J Emerg Med 2016 Sep 8;17(5):630-3. Epub 2016 Aug 8.

SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brooklyn, New York; Kings County Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine, Brooklyn, New York.

An otherwise healthy 36-year-old man presented with sudden-onset right upper quadrant abdominal pain and vomiting. A bedside ultrasound, performed to evaluate hepatobiliary pathology, revealed a normal gallbladder but free intraperitoneal fluid. After an expedited CT and emergent explorative laparotomy, the patient was diagnosed with a small bowel obstruction with ischemia secondary to midgut volvulus. Read More

Surg Case Rep 2016 Dec 6;2(1):80. Epub 2016 Aug 6.

The Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, Section of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Florida, 2950 Cleveland Clinic Boulevard, Weston, FL, 33331, USA.

A wandering liver is a rare development in both the adult and pediatric population where the liver is freely displaced along a transverse axis. We describe the first known occurrence in published literature of a wandering liver in an adult individual who also had an intestinal malrotation complicated by a midgut volvulus. The abnormal ability for a liver to wander presents a highly unusual anatomy that can be disorienting. Read More

BJR Case Rep 2016 23;2(3):20150360. Epub 2016 May 23.

North Manchester Hospitals, Manchester, UK.

An 85-year-old female with an extensive past medical history attended our accident and emergency department with vague abdominal pain and distension. Clinical examination and initial blood tests demonstrated features of sepsis and she was commenced on broad spectrum antibiotics. Following admission, a contrast-enhanced CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis was performed, which showed an unusual configuration of the gallbladder. Read More

Am Surg 2015 Nov;81(11):E347-8

Department of Surgery, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara, California, USA.

Case Rep Surg 2015 15;2015:629129. Epub 2015 Jun 15.

Henry Ford Macomb Hospital, Clinton Township, MI 48038, USA.

We encountered a case of gallbladder volvulus in an 88-year-old thin female in which the initial presentation was more consistent with that of acute appendicitis. After complete work-up, including physical exam, lab work, and computed tomography, the definite diagnosis of gallbladder volvulus was not made until intraoperative visualization was obtained. Gallbladder volvulus is a rare but serious condition, which requires a high clinical suspicion so prompt surgical intervention can be undertaken. Read More

Pan Afr Med J 2015 12;20:228. Epub 2015 Mar 12.

Service de Chirurgie Générale, CHU Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Sénégal.

Emerg Radiol 2015 Aug 2;22(4):445-7. Epub 2015 Jul 2.

Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA,

Gallbladder torsion or volvulus is a rare but potentially lethal entity. We report the imaging findings of gallbladder torsion and describe a potentially novel ultrasound sign for the preoperative diagnosis of torsion. An 87-year-old woman presented with a 4-day history of right upper quadrant pain. Read More

Turk J Gastroenterol 2014 Dec;25 Suppl 1:308-9

Department of General Surgery, Elazığ Training and Research Hospital, Elazığ, Turkey.

Presse Med 2015 Apr 19;44(4 Pt 1):478-80. Epub 2014 Dec 19.

Centre hospitalier de Dunkerque, service de chirurgie viscérale, vasculaire et thoracique, 59385 Dunkerque cedex 1, France.

Int J Clin Exp Med 2014 15;7(10):3602-4. Epub 2014 Oct 15.

Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University Dalian 116011, China.

Gallbladder volvulus, or gallbladder torsion, is a rare condition. There have been very few case reports of chronic cholecystitis complicated by incomplete gallbladder volvulus. A 63-year-old woman had suffered recurrent right upper quadrant pain for 3 years, which had grown worse during the past day. Read More

Am J Gastroenterol 2014 Nov;109(11):1712

World J Gastroenterol 2014 Oct;20(38):14068-72

Ta-Wei Pu, Chun-Yu Fu, Huai-En Lu, Department of Surgery, Song Shan Branch, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan.

Gallbladder torsion is a rare, acute abdominal disease. It was first reported by Wendell in 1898. Since then, only 500 cases have been reported. Read More

Rozhl Chir 2013 Dec;92(12):722-5

Congenital anomalies of the gallbladder, the biliary tract and their vasculature are relatively common. They usually represent only anatomical variations that may not manifest clinically, but in some cases they are of fundamental importance for the surgeon as they can cause diagnostic confusion or lead to problems during surgery. Their ignorance may result in many errors, injury during surgery and subsequent serious consequences. Read More

J Radiol Case Rep 2013 Dec 1;7(12):21-5. Epub 2013 Dec 1.

Department of Radiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA.

Gallbladder torsion is a rare cause of acute gangrenous cholecystitis; its occurrence within an abdominal hernia has not been previously reported. We present such a case occurring within a parastomal hernia and imaged with unenhanced CT. Read More

Can Vet J 2013 Aug;54(8):784-6

Animal Health Laboratory, Ontario Veterinary College, Laboratory Services Division, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1H 6R8.

Postmortem examination of a 7-year-old German shepherd dog which had gastric dilatation/volvulus and splenectomy 2 months earlier revealed that the right middle and quadrate liver lobes were diffusely congested and torsed. The gall bladder was grossly distended and torsed along its long axis and there was evidence of bile peritonitis. Read More

Ethiop Med J 2013 Apr;51(2):161-3

A 50 years old man was admitted to Wolayita Soddo Hospital, southern Ethiopia, with the complaints of sudden onset right upper quadrant pain with repeated vomiting. Physical examination was remarkable for a dehydration and abdominal tenderness. The patient showed no improvement on conservative treatment and hence underwent laparotomy. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2013 Aug 21;2013. Epub 2013 Aug 21.

Department of Surgery, University Hospital North Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.

Gallbladder torsion is rare and is more frequently seen in elderly women. Published case reports comment that diagnosis of this entity can be made preoperatively through imaging with some advocating removal laparoscopically. This case reports an elderly woman who underwent emergency laparotomy for a massively distended gallbladder with suspected cholecystitis. Read More

Pediatr Diabetes 2014 Feb 5;15(1):67-72. Epub 2013 Aug 5.

Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), University of California (UC) Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.

Recently, bi-allelic mutations in the transcription factor RFX6 were described as the cause of a rare condition characterized by neonatal diabetes with pancreatic and biliary hypoplasia and duodenal/jejunal atresia. A male infant developed severe hyperglycemia (446 mg/dL) within 24 h of birth. Acute abdominal concerns by day five necessitated exploratory surgery that revealed duodenal atresia, gallbladder agenesis, annular pancreas and intestinal malrotation. Read More

Vet Rec 2013 Aug;173(5):121-2

JAMA Surg 2013 Sep;148(9):891-2

Department of Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Science, Little Rock.

Perm J 2013 ;17(2):80-3

Department of Graduate Medical Education, Exempla St Joseph Hospital in Denver, CO, USA.

Introduction: Gallbladder volvulus (GV), or torsion of the gallbladder, is an uncommon surgical emergency. This article reviews the world literature related to GV. We examine the history of gallbladder torsion and highlight the critical constellation of presenting signs and symptoms, which guide the acute care physician and surgeon to accurate and timely diagnosis of GV before surgical intervention. Read More

Diagn Interv Imaging 2013 Sep 18;94(9):893-5. Epub 2013 Apr 18.

Abdominal and Gastrointestinal Imaging Department, Medical Imaging Department, place Victor-Pauchet, 80054 Amiens cedex 01, France.

BMJ Case Rep 2013 Jan 17;2013. Epub 2013 Jan 17.

Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Woolwich, London, UK.

Torsion of the gallbladder resulting in a volvulus is a rare clinical finding that poses a diagnostic challenge preoperatively to both surgeons and radiologists. It is thought to occur secondary to a redundant mesentery where rotation of the gallbladder occurs along the axis of the cystic duct and cystic artery. Gallbladder volvulus commonly presents as acute cholecystitis and is rarely diagnosed preoperatively. Read More

J Pak Med Assoc 2012 Sep;62(9):965-6

Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ministry of Health, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.

Gallbladder volvulus or torsion; is an uncommon cause of acute abdomen and occurs by rotation of the gallbladder on its mesentery. The entity commonly misdiagnosed as cholecystitis before laparatomy, although it has some critical findings that alert physician for correct diagnosis. A 47 years old male patient admitted to our emergency department with right upper quadrant pain, and then progressed through abdominal rigidity indicating acute abdomen, was subjected to laparatomy. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2012 Sep 14;2012. Epub 2012 Sep 14.

General Surgery Department, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK.

A 28-year-old female presented with a 4 year history of intermittent right upper quadrant pain. Clinical examination and ultrasound suggested a diagnosis of cholelithiasis and the patient was eventually booked for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Intraoperatively the patient was found to have gallbladder agenesis and small bowel malrotation with the duodenojejunal flexure to right of midline. Read More

J Am Vet Med Assoc 2012 Sep;241(5):621-5

Farm Animal Hospital, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, CP 5000, St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.

Objective: To characterize duodenal sigmoid flexure volvulus (DSFV) and determine the prognosis for affected cattle undergoing surgery.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 29 dairy cattle. Read More

Arch Surg 2012 Jul;147(7):677-8

Discipline of Surgery, The Whiteley-Martin Research Centre, Sydney Medical School, the University of Sydney, Nepean Hospital, South Block, PO Box 63, Level 5, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.

Surg Today 2012 Jul 31;42(7):693-6. Epub 2012 Mar 31.

Division of Endoscopy, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.

Strangulation of the gallbladder by the omentum is extremely rare. We report what to our knowledge is only the second documented case of strangulation of a floating gallbladder by the lesser omentum. A 61-year-old Japanese woman presented to a local hospital after the sudden onset right upper quadrant pain. Read More

J Visc Surg 2012 Apr 18;149(2):e159-60. Epub 2012 Feb 18.

Service de chirurgie générale et digestive, CHU Purpan, 1, place du Dr-Baylac, 31059 Toulouse cedex 9, France.

Gallbladder volvulus is a rare condition caused by torsion of the cholecystic pedicle and is favored by a long or nonexistent cholecystic mesentery. Gallbladder torsion presents clinically as gangrenous cholecystitis. Emergency cholecystectomy is the standard treatment. Read More

Am Surg 2012 Jan;78(1):E47-8

First Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, Hippokration Hospital, Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece.

Am Surg 2011 Dec;77(12):E298-300

Albany Medical College, Albany, New York 12208, USA.