Lung Abscess Due to Retained Gallstones With an Adenocarcinoma

Intrapulmonary Gallstones and Pleuro-Biliary Fistula Formation Due to Complication From Prior Cholecystectomy: A Case Report and Literature Review

Intrapulmonary gallstones and the formation of pleuro-biliary fistula is a rare complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The stones are most commonly found in the right lower lobe of the lungs. The symptoms tend to be insidious in nature and can manifest as hemoptysis, irritating cough, and cholelithoptysis years after the procedure. The stones can be removed through lobectomy or may also be treated non-invasively with antibiotics only. Here, we describe a case of a patient who developed hemoptysis and was found to have intrapulmonary gallstones from laparoscopic cholecystectomy and subsequent fistula formation.

The wanderlust of a gallstone: a case report of intrathoracic migration of a gallstone post complicated cholecystectomy mimicking lung cancer

Gallstones migrating into the right hemithorax post complicated cholecystectomy may be misdiagnosed for lung cancer, especially in the context of a distant history of cholecystectomy, poor recall of medical history and incomplete patient data. We present a case of a female patient with heavy smoking history who presented to our emergency department with haemoptysis and mild weight loss. Imaging workup showed an ¹⁸F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-positive heterogeneous nodule with central calcification in the right lower lobe, carrying lung cancer as a differential diagnosis. The resected specimen revealed an inflammatory pseudomass formed around a gallstone. This case illustrates the importance of knowing the spectrum of clinical and radiological presentation of a gallstone migrating into the right hemithorax, in order to prompt appropriate management and prevent misdiagnosis and mistreatment.