[An elderly female with abdominal pain].

A case of a 78-year-old female who presented with clinical, ultrasonographic and laboratory findings typical of acute cholecystitis is presented. Diagnostic laparoscopy revealed a hemorrhagic infrahepatic mass and free blood within the peritoneal space; the procedure was then converted to an open one, which identified a 15 x 5 cm mass corresponding to a gallbladder volvulus. The final histopathologic study confirmed the diagnosis. A gallbladder volvulus should be suspected in elderly patients, particularly in those with a previous history of significant weight loss, who additionally present positive clinical and paraclinical data of acute cholecystitis. There are no still biochemical exams that may preoperatively identify patients at high risk for this infrequent abnormality.