GALLBLADDER AND CYSTIC DUCT ABSENCE - AN INFREQUENT MALFORMATION IN LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY

Gallbladder absence is an infrequent anomaly normally accompanied by l ack of the cystic duct. Of unknown etiology, in general it is accepted to be a congenital malformation, A male patient (age 59) diagnosed wi th nonfunctional symptomatic scleroatrophic gallbladder by echography and ERCP was operated on using a laparoscopic approach. Gallbladder an d cystic absence was diagnosed during the procedure. A new case of gal lbladder and cystic duct absence, diagnosed by laparoscopy, is present ed, This type of extrahepatic bile duct malformation is quite rare, bu t it must be taken into account due to the generalization of laparosco pic surgery in biliar pathology because of the high risk of serious le sions to the hepatocholedochal system.