Prenatal and accurate perinatal diagnosis of type 2 H or ductular duplicate gallbladder

Abstract

BackgroundDouble gallbladder is a rare biliary anomaly. Perinatal diagnosis of the disorder has been reported in only 6 cases, and in 5 of them the diagnosis was based on ultrasound imaging only. However, the ultrasound technique alone does not provide a sufficiently precise description of cystic ducts and biliary anatomy, an information that is crucial for a correct classification and for a possible future surgery.Case presentationAt 21 weeks of gestational age of an uneventful pregnancy in a 38 year old primipara mother, a routine ultrasound screening detected a biliary anomaly in the fetus suggestive of a double gallbladder. A neonatal abdominal ultrasonography performed on postnatal day 2 confirmed the diagnosis. On day 12 the newborn underwent a Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) that clearly characterized the anatomy of the anomaly: both gallbladders had their own cystic duct and both had a separate insertion in the main biliary duct.ConclusionsWe report a case of early prenatal suspected duplicate gallbladder that was confirmed by a neonatal precise diagnosis of a Type 2, H or ductular duplicate gallbladder, using for the first time 3D images of Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in a newborn. An accurate anatomical diagnosis is mandatory in patients undergoing a possible future cholecystectomy, to avoid surgical complications or reoperations. Therefore, in case of a perinatal suspicion of a double gallbladder, neonates should undergo a Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography.A review of the Literature about this variant is included.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12887-018-1043-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Gallbladder duplication in a child – case report

“…We did not observe the simultaneous occurrence of both abnormalities in our patient. In addition, only six cases of gallbladder duplication have been reported in the perinatal period [15]. To date, individual cases of triple gallbladders have been reported [16].…”