CASE REPORT   

Journal of Radiological Review 2021 June;8(2):172-4

DOI: 10.23736/S2723-9284.21.00111-7

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Gallbladder perforation: a diagnostic challenge for clinicians and radiologists

Matteo MORENA ^{1, 2} ✉, Paola BRIGNONE ¹

¹ Unit of Radiology, Mons. Giovanni Galliano Hospital, ASL Alessandria, Acqui Terme, Alessandria, Italy; ² Unit of Radiology, Cardinal Massaia Hospital, ASL Asti, Asti, Italy

Gallbladder perforation is an uncommon but life-threatening complication. Neimeier classified gallbladder perforation into three categories: Type I (acute), free perforation with generalized peritonitis; Type II (sub-acute), localized peritonitis; Type III (chronic), with formation of internal or external fistulae. We report a case of type I gallbladder perforation in a patient with no previous history of cholelithiasis who was admitted to the emergency department complaining fever, asthenia and diarrhea lasting two days. It was the Radiologist to suggest the correct diagnosis basing on some direct and ancillary computed tomography (CT) findings in a patient with an otherwise unexplained acute abdomen condition.

KEY WORDS: Gallbladder; Tomography, X-ray computed; Cholecystitis; Abdomen, acute; Peritonitis