Wu JR, Wang CC, Li BY, Li JH, Zhang T, Li ZY. Concomitant functional gallbladder disorder and left-sided gallbladder: A case report. World J Gastrointest Endosc 2025; 17(7): 107059 [DOI: 10.4253/wjge.v17.i7.107059]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Zi-Yao Li, MD, Chief Physician, Department of General Surgery, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 1 Xiyuan Playground, Haidian District, Beijing 100091, China. lzy20063pm@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastrointest Endosc. Jul 16, 2025; 17(7): 107059 Published online Jul 16, 2025. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v17.i7.107059
Concomitant functional gallbladder disorder and left-sided gallbladder: A case report
Jing-Rui Wu, Chang-Cheng Wang, Bo-Yang Li, Jia-Hang Li, Tao Zhang, Zi-Yao Li
Jing-Rui Wu, Department of Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi Province, China
Chang-Cheng Wang, Bo-Yang Li, Tao Zhang, Zi-Yao Li, Department of General Surgery, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100091, China
Jia-Hang Li, School of Clinical Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Li ZY and Wu JR contributed to case collection, data acquisition, drafting of the manuscript, manuscript review; Wang CC, Li BY, Li JH and Zhang T contributed to case collection, manuscript review.
Informed consent statement: The authors declare that informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report, including all accompanying images and data. The patient has been informed about the purpose of the report, the content of the manuscript, and any possible identifications, and has consented to the use of his/her medical information in this case report. The patient’s identity has been anonymized, and all data included in the manuscript are presented in a way that ensures patient confidentiality.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Zi-Yao Li, MD, Chief Physician, Department of General Surgery, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 1 Xiyuan Playground, Haidian District, Beijing 100091, China. lzy20063pm@163.com
Received: March 14, 2025 Revised: April 22, 2025 Accepted: June 18, 2025 Published online: July 16, 2025 Processing time: 117 Days and 15.3 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Ectopic gallbladder, occurring in 0.1% to 0.7% of the population, is rarely found in the left liver lobe without situs inversus totalis. Functional gallbladder disorder (FGBD), characterized by biliary pain without stones or sludge, affects 8% of men and 21% of women. No prior cases of concomitant FGBD and left-sided gallbladder have been reported, posing diagnostic and surgical challenges.
CASE SUMMARY
A 73-year-old woman with a 20-year history of epigastric pain was diagnosed with a left-sided gallbladder and FGBD based on imaging findings and impaired gallbladder contraction. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed and confirmed the ectopic gallbladder adherent to the left liver lobe. Postoperative pathology revealed no abnormalities, and the patient achieved complete symptom resolution at three-month follow-up.
CONCLUSION
This is the first reported case of FGBD with a left-sided gallbladder. Preoperative imaging, such as magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography or computed tomography, is crucial for identifying anatomical variations of the gallbladder. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is feasible but requires careful planning to avoid complications.
Core Tip: This first-documented case describes a 73-year-old woman with two concurrent diagnoses: Functional gallbladder disorder and left-sided gallbladder, presenting with 20-year epigastric pain. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography imaging were pivotal in identifying the ectopic gallbladder adherent to the left hepatic lobe. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy successfully resolved symptoms despite anatomical complexity, with postoperative pathology confirming absence of stones, sludge, or inflammation. The case highlights the necessity of advanced preoperative imaging (e.g., magnetic resonance pancreatography) to map biliary anatomy and guide surgical strategies in ectopic gallbladder cases. Clinicians should consider dual gallbladder pathologies in chronic abdominal pain and prioritize laparoscopic approaches with intraoperative flexibility to mitigate bile duct injury risks.
