Gallbladder perforation usually occurs as a result of necrotic damage to the gall bladder wall.
The condition is predisposed by acute cholecystitis that in turn may cause an empyema of the gall bladder. The cystic artery may become thrombosed and, because it is an end artery, the gall bladder tissue becomes necrotic. At this stage, stones may perforate through the gall bladder by the action of pressure from within. The spread of infected bile to the abdominal cavity is associated with a high mortality rate.
Treatment entails cholecystectomy or cholecystostomy.
Last reviewed 01/2018