Septate gallbladder in a dog with cholecystitis: A case report and literature review

Abstract

A 5-year-old, Yorkshire terrier was presented due to the acute onset of vomiting and diarrhoea. The imaging studies showed an abnormally separated gallbladder with a thickened wall, a tortuous common bile duct that contained hyperechoic materials. A cholecystectomy was performed because of the failure of the conservative management. The gallbladder was partially divided by a septum and communicated with the cystic duct. Histologically, the dog was diagnosed as having cholecystitis and choledochitis. To the author's knowledge, this is the first clinical description of a symptomatic septate gallbladder in a dog. Although congenital gallbladder abnormalities are rare in animals, a septate gallbladder can predispose to an inflammatory biliary disease due to the abnormal bile flow.