Summary

A 5-year-old boy with metachromatic leukodystrophy, debilitated by spastic quadriparesis presented to us with massive ascites and respiratory distress. A subtotal cholecystectomy was performed on him from another centre for a gall bladder mass a year before he came to us. Imaging revealed a polypoidal frond-like mass arising from the gall bladder fossa which was supplied by a hypertrophied branch of the right hepatic artery. A decision was made to offer surgical resection preceded by embolisation of the feeding vessel. At surgery, a polypoidal frond-like mass in communication with the peritoneal cavity was seen arising from the remnant gall bladder bed with over 4 L of mucoid ascites. The mass along with the remnant gall bladder was removed. Biopsy revealed villous papilloma of the gall bladder. The child is well and asymptomatic at 5-month follow-up.