[Gallbladder agenesis - A rare congenital anomaly mimicking cholelithiasis in an adult woman].

Gallbladder agenesis is a rare congenital malformation due to an embryological defect of the biliary system. In most cases it is asymptomatic, but it can also mimic biliary colic. We report the case of a 72-year-old Caucasian woman with a medical history of cardiovascular disease and hypercholesterolemia, under cholesterol-lowering and hypotensive treatment, who presented symptoms suggesting biliary colic. She underwent laparoscopic surgery that confirmed the final diagnosis. We present our approach in this rare case as well as a brief review of medical literature. The surgeon should decide intraoperatively whether to continue and search for a possible ectopic gallbladder or investigate further with imaging studies. Gallbladder agenesis is a rare condition that the surgeon must be aware of. In the cases of inconclusive or indirect signs of cholelithiasis, the best approach is complementary imaging investigations such as magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in order to avoid surgery.