Keywords
Gallbladder
Pediatric Surgery
Ultrasound
Cholecystectomy
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Abstract
Objective: To describe the main clinical findings and treatment options for gallbladder neoplasm in a 6-year-old child. Case details: A 6-year-old male patient presented with intermittent abdominal pain for two months, triggered postprandially and associated with nausea and vomiting, without jaundice or weight loss. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a normodistended gallbladder with diffuse wall thickening and a vegetating lesion measuring 39 × 13 × 15 mm occupying the fundus and body of the gallbladder, exhibiting internal flow on color Doppler and absent mobility. Laboratory tests were stable, with mild leukocytosis. Elective videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy was indicated and subsequently brought forward due to acute symptom worsening. Intraoperatively, an enlarged gallbladder with a stony-hard fundus and an infarcted Mascagni lymph node were identified; both were removed uneventfully. The postoperative course was favorable, with good dietary tolerance and hospital discharge in good condition. Histopathology revealed a low-grade intracholecystic papillary neoplasm with focal moderate atypia, a free cystic duct, and no invasive carcinoma; four pericholecystic lymph nodes showed benign reactive features. The patient was referred to pediatric oncology for follow-up. Final considerations: Gallbladder neoplasm in children is rare and clinically challenging to diagnose. Doppler ultrasonography is essential for evaluation, and early videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy proves effective, with a favorable prognosis. Oncological follow-up is crucial.
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