RUPTURE OF GALLBLADDER THROUGH ABDOMINAL WALL

Perforation of the gallbladder is so infrequent as to warrant reporting of unusual cases. Although rupture of the gallbladder with formation of fistulas has occurred, relatively few cases have been reported. Only three cases have been reported in the American literature. Beye¹ reported a case in which the rupture took place in the right flank. Georg² reported one, identical with mine, in which the rupture took place over the gallbladder area. In Abell's³ case the rupture took place below Poupart's ligament. In the German literature, Hoerhammer⁴ reported one perforation through the abdominal wall, as contrasted with nine perforations into the abdominal cavity. Fabricius⁵ reported three cases. In the French literature, in 1890, Courvoisier reported observations on 499 cases of perforation of the gallbladder, of which 196 were perforations through the abdominal wall, as against only 119 perforations into the free peritoneal cavity, and 197 perforations into