Gallstones affect approximately 1 in 10 people in the UK. Most are asymptomatic — but when they cause symptoms (biliary colic, acute cholecystitis, obstructive jaundice or pancreatitis) they require prompt diagnosis and management. The consequences of missed diagnosis can include gallstone pancreatitis, ascending cholangitis, sepsis, and, for missed gallbladder cancer, progression to an incurable stage.
What are the common types of gallbladder misdiagnosis claim?
Biliary colic dismissed as indigestion or musculoskeletal pain
Classic biliary colic — right upper quadrant pain radiating to the right shoulder tip, occurring 30–60 minutes after eating fatty food — should prompt an abdominal ultrasound. Where this is attributed to indigestion, reflux or musculoskeletal pain without investigation, and the patient subsequently develops acute cholecystitis or pancreatitis, a claim may arise.
Acute cholecystitis not diagnosed or treated promptly
Acute cholecystitis — infection and inflammation of the gallbladder — causes right upper quadrant pain, fever and raised inflammatory markers. Where a patient presents to A&E or their GP with these features and is discharged without imaging, delayed diagnosis leading to gangrenous cholecystitis, perforation or sepsis may give rise to a claim.
Gallstone pancreatitis not identified
Gallstones are the most common cause of acute pancreatitis in women. Where elevated amylase or lipase and upper abdominal pain are not investigated for a biliary cause, and gallstone pancreatitis progresses to necrotising pancreatitis or multi-organ failure, failure to identify and treat the gallstone cause may be negligent.
Obstructive jaundice not investigated urgently
Jaundice caused by a common bile duct stone (choledocholithiasis) requires urgent investigation — ultrasound, MRCP, and ERCP or surgical removal. Where a jaundiced patient's presentation is not investigated urgently and ascending cholangitis (a life-threatening infection of the bile duct) results, a claim may arise.
Gallbladder cancer missed
Gallbladder cancer is uncommon but carries a poor prognosis when diagnosed late. It can be identified incidentally on ultrasound as a gallbladder mass or thickening of the wall. Where such findings are not followed up appropriately and the cancer progresses to an unresectable stage, a claim may be possible.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I claim if gallstones were missed for years?
Yes — if the symptoms you presented with should have prompted an ultrasound under clinical guidelines and no investigation was arranged, and the delay caused you to develop a complication (pancreatitis, cholecystitis, cholangitis) you would not have suffered with earlier treatment.
Can I claim if I developed pancreatitis because gallstones were not diagnosed?
Yes — if a competent clinician would have investigated for gallstones given your symptoms, and earlier diagnosis and treatment (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) would have prevented the pancreatitis episode.
Can I claim for a delayed gallbladder cancer diagnosis?
Possibly — if the signs of gallbladder malignancy were present on imaging and not acted upon, and the delay meant the cancer progressed beyond the point of curative surgery.
Related guides
- Bowel and colonoscopy surgery negligence
- Bile duct injury
- ERCP negligence
- Sepsis negligence
- Cancer misdiagnosis
Sources & further reading
Primary statute, case law and regulator guidance referenced in this article.