Infiltrative gallbladder tuberculosis versus locally infiltrating tumour of the gallbladder: a diagnostic dilemma unmasked by histopathology

Abstract

Gallbladder tuberculosis (TB) as an isolated infection and is an extremely rare entity even in parts of the world with endemicity. Though it has myriad ways of presentation, it can be cured successfully. We present a case of a 53-year-old man who presented with epigastric fullness and bloating with on and off low-grade fever for 2 months and significant weight loss. He underwent a CT scan, which showed a soft tissue gallbladder mass causing mural thickening of the antrum and lesser curvature. This was followed by a CT-guided core biopsy and gastric antrum biopsy via gastroscopy. Histopathology revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation in both samples. Various clinical presentations of gallbladder TB have been reported in literature, but to the best of our knowledge, the present case has a unique presentation and has never been reported before.