Stonebearing gallbladders: CT anatomy as the key to safe percutaneous lithotripsy. Work in progress.

Percutaneous cholecystolithotripsy can be performed with a transhepatic or transperitoneal approach. Because the anatomy of the gallbladder varies from person to person, the authors began a study to evaluate the position of the gallbladder with computed tomographic scans of 100 patients known to have stones in their gallbladders. Four variations in the relationship of the gallbladder to the liver and anterior abdominal wall were noted: completely intrahepatic gallbladders (39%) (type I), gallbladders bulging anterior to the anterior rim at least in part (35%) (type II), gallbladders completely anterior to the liver (17%) (type III), and gallbladders in a lateral position (9%) (type IV). In 51%, the colon was in direct contact with the gallbladder, and in 13% it was positioned between the abdominal wall and gallbladder. A safe percutaneous puncture was not possible in 34% of the patients (nine type IV gallbladders, 23 type I organs, and two type III gallbladders with anterior interposition of the colon).