• Kai Siang Chan, Vishal G Shelat, Cher Heng Tan, Yee Lin Tang, and Sameer P Junnarkar.
• Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 308232, Singapore.
• World J Gastrointest Surg. 2020 Mar 27; 12 (3): 123-128.

BackgroundIsolated tuberculosis of the gallbladder is extremely rare due to its intrinsic resistance to tuberculous infections. There are reports of gallbladder tuberculosis mimicking cholecystitis or malignancy. However, these presentations were chronic. The diagnosis of gallbladder tuberculosis warrants the need for investigation of additional sites of inoculation and contact tracing of all tuberculosis contacts. Gallbladder tuberculosis is a rare entity but should be suspected in patients from endemic regions with risk factors such as underlying immunosuppression or history of tuberculosis.Case SummaryWe present a case of gallbladder tuberculosis presenting as acute cholecystitis. A 44-year-old Filipino lady presented with a 11-d history of right hypochondrium and epigastric pain which worsened after meals with no significant past medical history. She underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy on the presumptive diagnosis of acute cholecystitis and diagnosed as gallbladder tuberculosis after histopathological examination. The patient did not have features of pulmonary or systemic tuberculosis nor was she immunocompromised. She recovered uneventfully. She was subsequently discharged and followed-up at a hospital in her home country due to financial and social reasons.ConclusionClinicians should have a high index of suspicion for patients in endemic regions presenting with cholecystitis.©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

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