Morphology of gall bladder - A cadaveric study

Abstract               Background and aim: Gall bladder is a highly variant organ which presents variations in dimensions, shape and position. Having knowledge of morphological variations of gall bladder becomes important to avoid complications during surgical and radiological interventions. Our study aims to observe the dimensions of gall bladder and also its shape, external morphology and position. Material and methods: Fifty adult cadaveric human gall bladders preserved in formalin were studied. The gall bladder was carefully dissected and studied for the maximum length and breadth (transverse diameter) of gall bladder, variations in shape, external morphology and its position. The length and breadth of gall bladder was measured using sliding vernier calipers. Average of three measurement was recorded. The gall bladder was carefully dissected and cleaned to observe the variation in shape, its external morphology and position which was noted down. Results: The length and breadth of gall bladder ranged from 5.2cm -8.8cm and 2.0cm- 5.6cm respectively. The mean±SD for length and breadth of gall bladder was 6.76±0.810cm and 3.49±0.75cm respectively. Pear shaped gall bladder was observed in 23 specimens (46%), flask shape in 12 specimens (24%), cylindrical shape in 10 specimens (20%), irregular shape in 03 specimens (06%) and hourglass shape in 02 specimens(04%) . External morphology of gall bladder showed folds at neck and fundus in three specimens each. Hartmann’s pouch was seen in one specimen. In two specimens the gall bladder was intrahepatic in position which is of complete type. Conclusion: The variations observed in our study will be of great importance to anatomist, surgeons and radiologist.

Key Word: Gall bladder, external morphology, Hartmann’s pouch, Intrahepatic.