Spontaneous biliary tract perforations: an unusual cause of peritonitis in pregnancy. Report of two cases and review of literature

World Journal of Emergency Surgery, Jul 2006

Spontaneous perforations of the biliary tract are rare in adults and even more so during pregnancy. Perforation of the gall bladder is a potentially fatal complication of cholecystitis. The infrequency of perforation in the setting of calculous disease of the gall bladder is probably due to the thickened wall of the organ that has long been the seat of chronic inflammation. Common bile duct perforations have been reported in adults most commonly in association with choledocholithiasis. The diagnosis of biliary tract perforations is often delayed due to their non specific symptoms, which results in high morbidity. Early diagnosis and aggressive therapy are mandatory to alleviate this condition. Delayed diagnoses and treatment may have more serious consequences for pregnant women than for other patients. Very few cases of biliary tract perforations have been reported in pregnant women. We report two such cases in pregnancy: first of a gall bladder perforation associated with cholelithiasis and the second of a common bile duct perforation in pregnancy in which no apparent cause was found.

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Spontaneous biliary tract perforations: an unusual cause of peritonitis in pregnancy. Report of two cases and review of literature

World Journal of Emergency Surgery Spontaneous biliary tract perforations: an unusual cause of peritonitis in pregnancy. Report of two cases and review of literature Nikhil Talwar 0 Manoj Andley 0 Bina Ravi 0 Ajay Kumar 0 0 Address: Department of Surgery, Lady Hardinge Medical College, University of Delhi , New Delhi-110001 , India Spontaneous perforations of the biliary tract are rare in adults and even more so during pregnancy. Perforation of the gall bladder is a potentially fatal complication of cholecystitis. The infrequency of perforation in the setting of calculous disease of the gall bladder is probably due to the thickened wall of the organ that has long been the seat of chronic inflammation. Common bile duct perforations have been reported in adults most commonly in association with choledocholithiasis. The diagnosis of biliary tract perforations is often delayed due to their non specific symptoms, which results in high morbidity. Early diagnosis and aggressive therapy are mandatory to alleviate this condition. Delayed diagnoses and treatment may have more serious consequences for pregnant women than for other patients. Very few cases of biliary tract perforations have been reported in pregnant women. We report two such cases in pregnancy: first of a gall bladder perforation associated with cholelithiasis and the second of a common bile duct perforation in pregnancy in which no apparent cause was found. - Background The incidence of biliary tract disease during pregnancy ranges from 0.05% to 0.3% [1]. Despite the rarity of the condition, complications of gallstones represent the second most common nongynecologic condition requiring surgery in pregnancy after appendicitis [2]. The most common indications for intervention for gall stones during pregnancy include: obstructive jaundice, acute cholecystitis failing medical management, and gall stone induced pancreatitis [3]. Gall bladder perforation has been reported to occur in 3 to 10% cases of acute cholecystitis in adults; however, it has rarely been reported in pregnancy [4]. Risk factors for gall bladder perforation in adults include: age greater than 60 years, immunosupression, steroid use, and severe systemic disease [4]. Since this condition is unusual during pregnancy, accurate diagnosis and treatment may be delayed resulting in perinatal morbidity. Spontaneous perforation of the common bile duct is a rare event in adults, with only 40 cases having been reported earlier [4]. Cholelithiasis, choledocholithiasis, and tumor obstruction of the ampulla have been reported as possible etiologies of perforation [5]. We report two cases of spontaneous biliary tract perforations in pregnancy, which were managed successfully. The clinical presentations, radiological findings and management are discussed. Clinical presentation Case 1 A 28-year-old gravida 2, para 1, 30 weeks pregnant woman presented with sudden onset abdominal pain and distension for two days. There was previous history of right upper abdominal pain for six months, which got relieved on analgesics. The previous pregnancy had been uneventful. On physical examination, she was moderately dehydrated and her temperature was 39.6C. Her pulse was 110/minute, blood pressure was 90/60 mmHg and there was no pallor or icterus. On abdominal examination, there was generalized tenderness, guarding, rigidity and rebound tenderness. Shifting dullness and fluid thrill was present. The uterine fundal height corresponded to 30 weeks gestation. Bowel sounds were absent. Routine laboratory tests revealed hemoglobin of 10.4 g/dL, total leukocyte count of 18850 cells per mL. The blood sugar, kidney and liver function tests were normal. The chest X ray was normal and there was no free air under the diaphragm. Abdominal sonography revealed bowel loops floating in large amount of free fluid. A Single live foetus of 30 weeks gestation was seen. Gall bladder with multiple calculi and wall thickness of 4 mm was also noted. Paracentesis yielded a free flow of purulent fluid admixed with bile. A clinical diagnosis of peritonitis due to bowel perforation was made and the patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy, which revealed about 4 litres of purulent fluid inside the peritoneal cavity. A thorough exploration revealed normal bowel. A gall bladder with multiple stones and a perforation at the fundus was seen. A cholecystectomy with peritoneal lavage was performed. Postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged one week later. Histopathology of the gall bladder was suggestive of acute cholecystitis. Her pregnancy continued and at 37 weeks' gestation she vaginally delivered a healthy baby. The patient is asymptomatic after a follow up of three years. Case 2 A 21-year-old primipara with 32 weeks pregnancy was referred to us from the gynecology department with upper abdominal pain and high-grade fever for 3 days associated with abdominal distension. On examination, the patient had a puls (...truncated)


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Nikhil Talwar, Manoj Andley, Bina Ravi, Ajay Kumar. Spontaneous biliary tract perforations: an unusual cause of peritonitis in pregnancy. Report of two cases and review of literature, World Journal of Emergency Surgery, 2006, pp. 21, 1, DOI: 10.1186/1749-7922-1-21