Gallbladder perforation is a relatively uncommon complication of acute cholecystitis and may occur with or without gallstones. Prophylactic cholecystectomy has been recommended for patients with very large stones (>3 cm) due to an increased risk of gallbladder cancer. We present the case of a 68-year-old woman who died of hemorrhagic shock following gallbladder perforation due to very large gallstones. This case provides additional support for consideration of prophylactic cholecystectomy in patients with very large gallstones.

These cases illustrate the importance of the traditional postmortem examination in not only confirming clinical diagnoses but also identifying previously unknown diagnoses. Hematologic malignancies may present with nonspecific clinical manifestations, and this series of cases also emphasizes the necessity for widening the differential diagnosis in patients with unexplained lactic acidosis and hepatic failure to include hematopoietic malignancies since prompt treatment may be lifesaving.