Case Report on a Rare Intraoperative Finding of Ectopic Liver Tissue Attached to Gallbladder Wall during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Abstract

Introduction. Ectopic liver is a rare finding (Corsy, 1922; Kubota et al., 2007) that is usually discovered intraoperatively or during an autopsy (Bassis and Izenstark, 1956). Preoperative diagnosis of ectopic liver is also uncommon. The most common site of ectopic liver is on the gall bladder, although there are reports of other sites such as the adrenal glands and esophagus. The management of ectopic liver is en-bloc resection due to the high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Case Presentation. We describe the case of a 42-year-old female who presented with recurrent abdominal pain. She was found to have a smooth fragment of a reddish brown tissue attached to the anterior surface of the gallbladder during an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The tissue was removed with the gallbladder, and histopathology showed normal ectopic liver tissue. Conclusion. Due to the possibility of malignant transformation into hepatocellular carcinoma, en-bloc resection is the choice of management.