Gallbladder Cancer Presenting as an Incisional Hernia

Gallbladder cancer is a rare and often terminal malignancy that usually appears in elderly patients. Most cases of gallbladder cancer are diagnosed only after symptoms occur, and the overwhelming majority are unresectable. The authors describe a patient who presented with vague abdominal symptoms and subsequently underwent surgery to repair a longstanding incisional hernia. Gallbladder cancer was discovered incidentally during the surgical procedure. This case is unusual because the woman was only in her forties, a relatively young age to receive a diagnosis of gallbladder cancer.