Angiodysplasia of the gallbladder

Kok KY, Telisinghe PU.

Int I Surg Case Rep. 2011;2 (8):256-7.

INTRODUCTION: Angiodysplasia is a term used to describe distinct mucosal vascular ectasias found mainly in the gastrointestinal tract. Angiodysplasia of the gallbladder is exceedingly rare. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We encountered a patient who presented with biliary colic and subsequently underwent an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The angiodysplasia of the gallbladder was found incidentally on histopathological examination of the excised gallbladder. DISCUSSION: Review of the literature showed only one other reported case of angiodysplasia of the gallbladder. The condition may be found incidentally after histopathological examination of the gallbladder removed for gallstone; or it may present with haemobilia. CONCLUSION: We presented an extremely rare case of angiodysplasia of the gallbladder, which was found incidentally after histopathological examination of the gallbladder removed for gallstone. Angiodysplasia of the gallbladder has the potential to bleed. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is effective in providing a definitive cure.

Correspondence: Kenneth KOK. Department of Surgery, RIPAS Hospital, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. kooky@brunet.bn. Article is available free from  PubMed Central at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3215263/?tool=pubmed