title: [Gallbladder agenesis. Case report].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gallbladder agenesis is a very rare congenital abnormality of the biliary tract. The diagnosis is made during surgery, because all preoperative studies have failed to identify this malformation. The purpose of this article is to present a case of gallbladder agenesis diagnosed during surgery, its management, and a review of the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case involves a sixty-two year- old female, referring to repeated biliary colic symptoms. The abdominal ultrasound diagnosed cholelithiasis. It was impossible to identify the gallbladder during surgery. Diagnosis was confirmed by intra-operative cholangiography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative diagnostic workup has failed to recognise patients with gallbladder agenesis. It is currently recommended to abandon the surgery once this diagnosis is suspected and confirm it by a cholangio-magnetic resonance scan in order to avoid a bile duct injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Agenesis of the gallbladder is a rare congenital abnormality of the biliary tree. Every surgeon must keep this rare entity in mind when a "difficult dissection" or an anatomic variant is identified during surgery, and make use of an intra-operative cholangiography, mainly to prevent a bile duct injury.
authors.affiliation: Cirugía General, Programa Multicéntrico de Residencias Médicas, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud del Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Electronic address: Lmagreco@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cavazos-García
authors.affiliation: Cirugía General, Programa Multicéntrico de Residencias Médicas, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud del Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Díaz-Elizondo
authors.affiliation: Cirugía General, Programa Multicéntrico de Residencias Médicas, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud del Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flores-Villalba
authors.affiliation: Cirugía General, Programa Multicéntrico de Residencias Médicas, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud del Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
authors.forename: Héctor Alejandro
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-García
mesh_terms: D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002758:Cholangiography; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003085:Colic / Q000209:etiology; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003549:Cystic Duct / Q000002:abnormalities; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Agenesia vesícula biliar; Agenesis of gallbladder; Anormalidades congénitas de la vesícula biliar; Congenital abnormalities of gallbladder; Gallbladder malformation; Malformación de la vesícula biliar