Porcelain Gallbladder Undetected by Preoperative Imaging Findings: A Case Report and Literature Review

Porcelain gallbladder is a rare condition, defined as calcification of the gallbladder wall.Its etiology is still not well established, but a relationship with gallstones of up to 95% is suggested, which causes an obstructive effect that triggers an inflammatory process with subsequent irritation and fibrosis of the gallbladder wall, either focal (affecting only the muscle layer) or transmural.It often has an asymptomatic course but may present as a case of chronic cholecystitis.It is a relevant pathology because a relationship with gallbladder cancer of up to 6% has been demonstrated, and in this regard, the role of prophylactic cholecystectomy is still debated.This article presents the case of a 51-year-old woman who consulted for abdominal pain in the right hypochondrium.An ultrasound was performed, diagnosing cholelithiasis with cholecystitis and a gallbladder with a thickened wall and mobile stones inside.A laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed, with samples taken for pathology, and malignancy was ruled out.