Cholecystolithiasis and Infection of the Biliary Tract with Salmonella Virchow - A Very Rare Case in Early Childhood

Abstract

In early childhood gallstones are rare. However, in the last years the number of patients has increased. A possible cause for calculous and acalculous cholecystitis are infections with Salmonella species. The following report describes a case of perforated cholecystitis and cholecystolithiasis accompanied by microbiological finding of Salmonella Virchow in the gallbladder in a three-and-a-half-year-old boy. A combination of symptomatic cholecystolithiasis and Salmonella Virchow has not yet been described in the literature. The belated diagnosis resulted in a sealed perforation of the gallbladder with local biliary peritonitis. After cholecystectomy and antimicrobial therapy, the patient could be discharged without any complaints. Diseases of the biliary tract are part of the differential diagnosis of unclear abdominal pain in early childhood.