Symptomatic Cholelithiasis in Duplicated Gallbladders

Benton M. Cason, MD; Marcus C. Tan, MD

Product Details
Product ID: ACS-5507
Year Produced: 2018
Length: 8 min.


Duplication of the gallbladder is a rare condition that occurs in only about 1 out of 4000 people. We present a case of symptomatic cholelithiasis. A 39 year-old female presented with 3 years of abdominal pain and was found to have duplicated gallbladders on imaging by the referring facility. Prior to her most recent evaluation, she had been treated for peptic ulcer disease. Her symptoms had recurred one month prior to her arrival at our clinic. We obtained an MRCP, which showed two distinct gallbladders with separate cystic ducts that appeared to coalesce to form a common channel prior to joining the hepatic duct. We elected to pursue laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This was performed utilizing standard technique. A common cystic artery was identified. Cholangiogram was attempted. A top-down dissection was undertaken successfully, and a common cystic duct was identified. The duct was secured with a endoloop. The patient recovered without incident, and her symptoms had resolved as of her last clinic visit.