A Case Report of the Torsion of the Gallbladder Mistaken for Acute Appendicitis : A Case Report and Statistic Consideration of 141 Cases in Japan

Acute torsion of the gallbladder is considerably rare. From 1898, there have been approximately 300 reported cases which were treated in Europe and America, while in Japan there have been 141 cases, with the first case being reported in 1932. The most important problems of this disease are preoperative diagnosis and determining the time for laparotomy. Recently we experienced a case of torsion of the gallbladder in an 82-year-old female. She was first diagnosed as acute appendicitis before the operation. She was admitted to our hospital because of severe pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. During the operation the gallblader was found to be counterclockwise twisted 360 degrees. Cholecystectomy was performed and all of the patient's symptoms disappeared. No stones were found.