Spontaneous cholecystocutaneous fistula: a rare complication of gallbladder disease

Abstract

An 81-year-old man presented with a large subcutaneous abscess in the right subcostal area with surrounding cellulitis and crepitus. An abdominal computed tomography scan showed two subcutaneous gallstones and communication between the abscess and the gallbladder. Cholecystectomy was performed and the abdominal wall abscess was drained externally. This case report demonstrates that maintaining a high degree of suspicion of this rare entity is helpful in achieving correct preoperative diagnosis, and that computed tomography scan should be performed in all cases of unexplained abdominal wall suppuration or cellulitis.

Case Report: Spontaneous cholecystocutaneous fistula, a rare cholethiasis complication

“…Thanks to the progress made with medical imaging and surgical techniques, biliary fistula is today a very rare pathology 8 – 11 . Fistulas often represent the result of post-surgical 12 or post-traumatic 15 complications that generally involve the duodenum (77%) and colon (15%) 16 .…”

Spontaneous cholecystocutaneous abscess

“…Spontaneous cholecystocutaneous abscess or fistula is an uncommon complication of acute cholecystitis. This entity, frequent in the nineteenth century, is now rare with only 20 reported cases in the last 50 years [1]. This 42-year-old female presented with upper abdominal pain, fever, chills, swelling, and discharge in upper abdomen.…”

Consequences of gallbladder inflammation: spontaneous cholecystocutaneous fistula: a case report

“…2 Predisposing factors are cholelithiasis, infections, malignancy, diabetes, atherosclerosis, prolonged high dose steroids associated disease like polyarteritis nodusa. 3,4 Fundus most distant from cystic artery and physiologically least vascularised therefore most susceptible to ischemia hence is the most common site of perforation.…”