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Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of duplication gallbladder: a multicenter study

  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Gallbladder duplication is a rare anatomic anomaly characterized by the presence of an accessory gallbladder.

Objective

To appraise the prevalence and significance of prenatal diagnosis of duplication of gallbladder in a multicenter study.

Methods

This was a multicenter case series with literature review. Clinical records of all consecutive pregnant women with a prenatal diagnosis of duplication of gallbladder, who were referred to our Centers were included in this study. The diagnosis of duplication of gallbladder was based on the evidence of double gallbladder in the standard abdominal circumference plane using grey scale. Postnatal magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) 3D and postnatal neonatal abdominal ultrasound scan were offered soon after birth to confirm the diagnosis of double gallbladder. The systematic review was conducted using electronic databases from inception of each database through December 2019.

Results

Five studies, including a total of seven cases, were identified as relevant and included in the systematic review. Gestational age at diagnosis ranged from 20 to 32 weeks of gestation. Associated findings were reported in only one case, where the fetus presented with a left-sided gallbladder, and bilateral renal agenesis with Potter sequence. None of the included cases reported abnormal karyotype. Our cases series included nine cases (0.03%) of double gallbladder with postnatal confirmation, with an overall incidence of this anomaly of 0.03%.Associated findings were reported in only two cases, one with IUGR and omphalocele, that opted for I-TOP, and one with single umbilical artery. Except for the I-TOP, neonatal outcome was favorable in all cases.

Conclusions

Duplication of the gallbladder is a very rare malformation with only seven cases reported in the literature diagnosed prenatally. This anomaly is not associated with abnormal karyotype, and the neonatal outcome is favorable if there are no other associated abnormalities.

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Funding

No financial support was received for this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

    Lavinia Di Meglio, Paolo Toscano, Gabriele Saccone, Laura Letizia Mazzarelli, Fabrizio Zullo, Antonio Raffone, Mariavittoria Locci & Aniello Di Meglio

  2. Diagnosi Ecografica e Prenatale di A. Di Meglio, Naples, Italy

    Lavinia Di Meglio, Paolo Toscano, Letizia Di Meglio, Laura Letizia Mazzarelli & Aniello Di Meglio

  3. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Letizia Di Meglio

  4. Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

    Antonio Travaglino

Authors
  1. Lavinia Di Meglio
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  2. Paolo Toscano
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  3. Gabriele Saccone
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  4. Letizia Di Meglio
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  5. Laura Letizia Mazzarelli
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  6. Fabrizio Zullo
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  7. Antonio Raffone
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  8. Antonio Travaglino
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  9. Mariavittoria Locci
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  10. Aniello Di Meglio
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Contributions

LDM: study conception, study design, study methods, data analysis, manuscript preparation, methods supervision. PT: study conception, study design, study methods, data analysis, manuscript preparation, methods supervision. GS: study conception, study design, study methods, data analysis, data collection, manuscript preparation, whole study supervision. LeDM: study conception, study design, data collection, data analysis. LM: study conception, study design, data collection, data analysis. FZ: study conception, data analysis, manuscript preparation, whole study supervision. AR: study design, study methods, manuscript preparation, whole study supervision. AT: study design, study methods, manuscript preparation, whole study supervision. ML: study conception, study design, data analysis, methods supervision, whole study supervision. ADM: study conception, study design, data analysis, methods supervision, whole study supervision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gabriele Saccone.

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Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

Given the study design (case series with literature review), authors considered ethical approval not necessary.

Informed consent

All patients provided a written consent for data publication.

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Di Meglio, L., Toscano, P., Saccone, G. et al. Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of duplication gallbladder: a multicenter study. Arch Gynecol Obstet 302, 377–382 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-020-05641-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-020-05641-z

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