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Cross-sectional imaging of perforated gallbladder

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Abstract

Gallbladder perforation is a potentially life-threatening condition commonly seen as a complication of acute cholecystitis. Urgent surgical intervention is often needed to reduce serious morbidity and mortality. It presents a diagnostic challenge due to nonspecific symptoms, leading to a delay in diagnosis. Imaging plays a vital role in early identification of this potentially fatal condition and evaluation by more than one imaging modality may be required to make the diagnosis. Knowledge of specific and ancillary imaging findings is crucial to avoid misdiagnosis. In this article, we will review the risk factors, pathophysiology, and surgical classification of gallbladder perforation and discuss the role of multimodality imaging in its diagnosis. Differential diagnoses on imaging will also be discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Adeel R. Seyal, MD and Keyur Parekh, MD were supported by educational grant from Siemens Healthcare. We would like to acknowledge Mr. David Botos for his medical illustrations in Fig. 1.

Conflict of interest

None were declared.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 North Saint Clair Street Suite 800, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Adeel R. Seyal, Keyur Parekh, Fernanda D. Gonzalez-Guindalini, Paul Nikolaidis, Frank H. Miller & Vahid Yaghmai

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  1. Adeel R. Seyal
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  2. Keyur Parekh
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Correspondence to Vahid Yaghmai.

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Seyal, A.R., Parekh, K., Gonzalez-Guindalini, F.D. et al. Cross-sectional imaging of perforated gallbladder. Abdom Imaging 39, 853–874 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-014-0121-1

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