Prenatally diagnosed fetal gallbladder stone: a case report

Objective 

Fetal gallbladder stone is seen quite rarely. Its incidence rate is approximately 1/2000. Together with the increase of the use obstetric ultrasonography in clinical practice, there has been an increase in the number of cases diagnosed with fetal gallbladder stone. Our aim is to present the case diagnosed with prenatal gallbladder stone.

Case 

Twenty-year-old, foreign woman who had no prenatal follow-up referred to our clinic with the complaints of pain and water-breaking. In the obstetric US performed, it was found that she was at 38 weeks of gestation which was her first pregnancy, her placenta was at anterior position, had sufficient amnion fluid and the presentation was breech type. NST was evaluated as reactive. In the measurement at AC transverse plane, an appearance consistent with single hyperechogenic stone in the gallbladder was observed. The patient delivered 3230 g female baby with 9/10 Apgar score by vaginal spontaneous delivery. The mother and the baby who had no problem on postpartum first day were discharged from the hospital. No etiological risk factor was found in the anamnesis of the case, and it was considered as idiopathic fetal gallbladder stone and she was followed up.

Conclusion 

Although the ethiology of the fetal gallbladder stone is not known well, maternal and fetal reasons are considered. Among the maternal reasons, there are ablation placenta, increased estrogen level, narcotic use, diabetes mellitus, and drug use (ceftriaxone, furosemide and prostaglandin E2). The fetal reasons are Rh or ABO inconsistency, congenital anomalies (cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, urogenital), genetic anomalies (Trisomy 21), growth retardation, oligohydramnios, hepatitis, prenatal leukemoid reaction, and idiopathic reasons. Fetal gallbladder stones are generally benign, and most of them usually disappear spontaneously in the first months or within a year at the latest after the delivery.

Keywords

Prenatal diagnosis, fetal gallbladder stone.