A Case of A 15-Year Old with Perforated Gallbladder Type II Secondary To Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis, Severe Secondary to Typhoid Fever with Bile Peritonitis, in Sepsis

Abstract

Typhoid fever is one of the most common enteric fever in low to middle income countries. In the pediatric population, it is a rare cause of acalculous cholecystitis in which one of the dreaded complication is gall bladder perforation. This was a case of a 15-year-old male with 1-month history of intermittent undocumented fever, anorexia and weight loss. The patient presented with signs of pancytopenia and abdominal examination revealed acute abdomen. Patient was optimized and prepared for surgery. Intraoperative findings revealed Type II gall bladder perforation with bile peritonitis, and patient underwent exploratory laparotomy, cholecystectomy, lavage, Jackson-Pratt drain. The sepsis eventually resolved postoperatively, and the patient was discharged. Preoperative diagnosis in patients with gall bladder perforation is often challenging and sophisticated, due to its rarity. However, it should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses in pediatric patients presenting with atypical history of abdominal pain.

At present, there are no specific guidelines in the management of complications such as gall bladder perforation in patients with typhoid fever. Therefore, early diagnosis and immediate surgical intervention of gall bladder perforation are of prime importance in the successful outcomes of these patients, given the high morbidity and mortality associated with this condition.