Gallbladder Volvulus: A rare cause of acute abdomen. A case report

Abstract

Gallbladder volvulus is a rare but serious event. Described for the first time by  Wendal in 1898, the condition is the result of a congenital anomaly, in which the gallbladder is suspended by a mesentery which allows the rare possibility of its torsion which, when  not handled urgently, results in gangrene and even peritonitis. This paper describes a case of a 45 year old male patient who presented at St. Francis Mission Hospital, Nsambya with a history of an abrupt onset of upper abdominal pain. At laparotomy, torsion of the gallbladder with gangrene was found. Cholecystectomy was done. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery. This paper briefly describes the clinical presentation of gallbladder volvulus. We believe that this may be the first documented case of this rare condition to be documented from Uganda.

Key words: Gallbladder,volvulus, torsion, acute abdomen.