Abdominal abscess from gallstones spilled at laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Case report and review of the literature

Surg Endosc. 1995 Mar;9(3):344-7. doi: 10.1007/BF00187783.

Abstract

One case is reported and 14 others are culled from the literature. Each patient experienced an intraperitoneal abscess with a gallstone nidus following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Each required open surgical drainage weeks or months after the initial laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The natural biology of spilled intraperitoneal gallstones is not known. Two short-term animal studies suggest initial partial lysis and fibrotic encapsulation. At least 15% of completed laparoscopic cholecystectomies leave intraperitoneal gallstones. Almost all prove to be clinically innocuous but the rare instances of later intraabdominal abscess formation deserve recognition and reporting.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Abscess / etiology*
  • Aged
  • Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / adverse effects*
  • Cholelithiasis* / complications
  • Cholelithiasis* / surgery
  • Humans
  • Klebsiella Infections / etiology*
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / isolation & purification*
  • Male