MRCP imaging of duplicate gallbladder: a case report and review of the literature

Duplicate gallbladder is a rare congenital abnormality of the hepatobiliary system that has an incidence of roughly 1 in 4000. Many surgical studies have demonstrated that congenital anomalies of the gallbladder and anatomical variations of its position are associated with an increased risk of complications after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Using ultrasound, MRCP and 3D reconstructions, we report a case of a 29-year-old female who was incidentally revealed to have a duplicated gallbladder. A review of the literature surrounding this variant, its anatomical classifications and relevance to surgical practice is included. The double gallbladder is a rare congenital condition that is often not considered in the differential diagnosis for a patient with gallbladder disease or intraoperatively. At present, it is only detected via pre-operative imaging in 50 % of cases, but an understanding of the limitations of ultrasound combined with more frequent and thorough use of MRCP before surgical intervention could prevent serious complications of laparoscopy in these patients.