Gallbladder volvulus: a rare cause of acute abdomen

Abstract

Gallbaldder volvulus is an extremely rare cause of abdominal pain. It requires high clinical suspicion to diagnose and prompt surgical management. The main risk factors for this condition are age (over 60 years old) and being female. Presentation can often mimic acute cholecystitis or biliary colic as patients with a volvulus will present with right upper quadrant pain, nausea, vomiting with or without fevers and raised inflammatory markers. Imaging can help aid diagnosis with computed tomography of the abdomen or ultrasound often being the most available and time efficient modality. Delay in diagnosis and surgery can lead to significant patient morbidity. We report a case of gallbladder volvulus in a 78-year-old female that was managed successfully with laparoscopic cholecystectomy.