Ectopic Liver Tissue in the Gall Bladder: A Rare Entity

Abstract

Ectopic liver tissue (ELT) is a rare clinical entity that any surgeon faces in their career. Due to the association or propensity to develop hepatocellular carcinoma, this disease has gained clinical importance, and surgeons ought to be aware of the possible intervention and complications that can be associated with it. Incidence has been reported to be 0.24%-0.47%, with the gall bladder being the most common site. Anatomically, ELT in the gall bladder derives its blood supply either from the vascular pedicle arising with or without its own vein from the liver parenchyma or from branches of the cystic artery and, sometimes, through vascular structures embedded within the mesentery lying adjacent to the liver parenchyma. Surgically, it becomes important to delineate the blood supply because, often, the operating surgeon might encounter uncontrollable bleeding if the blood supply has been derived from the liver parenchyma itself. Complications that can be associated with ectopic liver are torsion, bleeding into the peritoneum, cirrhosis, and, sometimes, lead to malignant degeneration to hepatocellular carcinoma. It can be due to metabolic inactivity owing to less efficient vascular and biliary ductal systems, which sometimes might be confused for occult metastases from a primary hepatoma. Gall bladder-associated ELT is best managed by en bloc resection via laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which suffices if the biopsy comes out to be negative. However, as the risk of malignant degeneration still exists in about 3% of cases, some patients might need to undergo a second surgery for a negative resection margin and regional lymphadenectomy.