Common bile duct perforation due to choledocholithiasis in a cat with gallbladder agenesis

Abstract

Case summary An 8-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat was presented for further investigation of anorexia, vomiting and lethargy. Abdominal ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced CT revealed choledocholithiasis with suspected bacterial peritonitis and non-visualisation of the gallbladder. During surgery, the common bile duct was noted to be perforated, and a cholelith was found in the abdominal cavity. No gallbladder was confirmed during surgery. Three months postoperatively, the cat underwent CT cholangiography and absence of the gallbladder with a vestigial duplicated gallbladder was diagnosed. Relevance and novel information Gallbladder agenesis is extremely rare in cats, with only one previous report, but several dogs have been diagnosed based on CT cholangiography and laparoscopy. This report describes gallbladder agenesis concurrent with choledocholithiasis in an adult cat and represents the first report of CT cholangiography in a cat with gallbladder agenesis.

Computed Tomographic Features of Gallbladder Agenesis in a Golden Retriever

“…Breeds, such as Maltese (1,16), Toy poodle, Shiba, Jack Russell Terrier (25), Miniature Pinscher (13), French Bulldog (12), crossbreeds (27), and even larger breeds like German Shepherds (25) and Bull terriers (9) have also been reported to experience gallbladder agenesis. Gallbladder agenesis is extremely rare in cats, with only two cases reported (20,23).…”