Medical Image of the Month: Perforated Gangrenous Cholecystitis

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. Clinical Scenario: A 47-year-old lady with a past medical history of hypertension, DVT on Xarelto, and methamphetamine use presented with a 3-day history of progressive right upper quadrant pain. Physical examination demonstrated marked right upper quadrant tenderness with palpation and significant rebound tenderness. A CT of the abdomen and pelvis without intravenous contrast demonstrated findings consistent with acute calculus cholecystitis with evidence of perforation and a pericholecystic abscess. The patient was taken emergently to the operating room where she underwent an open cholecystectomy which demonstrated perforated gangrenous cholecystitis with a large abscess in the gallbladder fossa. She was admitted to the ICU post-operatively due septic shock and did well with fluid resuscitation and antibiotic administration. Discussion: Acute cholecystitis is the most common acute complication of cholelithiasis and accounts for 3-9% of hospital admissions for acute abdominal pain. Eight to 95% of cases of acute cholecystitis are the result of a …

Spontaneous cholecystocutaneous fistula: an uncommon complication of acute cholecystitis

A 78-year-old man presented to the hospital with acute right upper quadrant pain, fever and nausea. A focused abdominal ultrasound and abdominal CT scan were performed demonstrating an acute calculous cholecystitis with gallbladder perforation. Although a CT-guided cholecystostomy was performed and a pericholecystic abscess was relieved promptly, the patient developed a cholecystocutaneous fistula in the right hypochondriac region. A cholecystocutaneous fistula is an extremely rare complication that may occur in patients with acute calculous or acalculous cholecystitis, chronic gallstone disease, gallbladder carcinoma or prior hepatobiliary surgery.

A scoring system based on computed tomography for the correct diagnosis of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis

Background Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) is an uncommon variant of chronic cholecystitis. The differential diagnoses of XGC include gallbladder cancer (GBC), adenomyomatosis, and actinomycosis of the gallbladder. Purpose To assess the usefulness of computed tomography (CT) findings in the diagnosis of XGC and differentiation from GBC. Material and Methods We retrospectively assessed the pathological and radiological records of 13 patients with pathologically proven XGC and 33 patients with GBC. Results Significant differences were observed for the following five CT findings: diffuse wall thickening (XGC = 85%, GBC = 15%, P < 0.01); absence of polypoid lesions (XGC = 100%, GBC = 48%, P < 0.01); intramural nodules or bands (XGC = 54%, GBC = 9%, P < 0.01); pericholecystic infiltration (XGC = 69%, GBC = 9%, P < 0.01); and pericholecystic abscess (XGC = 23%, GBC = 0%, P = 0.018). We defined the scoring system based on how many of the five CT findings were observed. Our scoring system, which included these findings, revealed that patients with three or more findings had sensitivity of 77% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 57–87) and specificity of 94% (95% CI = 86–98). Conclusion Our scoring system can assist in the differentiation of XGC from GBC.

Early Sonographic Diagnosis of Emphysematous Cholecystitis Successfully Treated With Antibiotics

Emphysematous cholecystitis (EC) is an uncommon form of acute cholecystitis, caused by secondary infection of the gallbladder wall with gas-forming organisms. The mortality rate of EC is as high as 25% due to complications such as gangrene, gallbladder perforation, pericholecystic abscess, and bile peritonitis. Traditionally, prompt emergency surgical intervention with open cholecystectomy is recommended for EC treatment. This case study of EC was diagnosed at an early stage with sonography and computed tomography and successfully treated by antibiotic treatment alone without surgery. With characteristic findings on sonography such as echogenic reflectors with posterior shadowing, EC is an important entity for sonographers to be able to identify. In the future as imaging with sonography and CT affords earlier diagnosis of EC, antibiotic therapy might be considered for some patients, but more evidence is needed to obtain the same outcome as this particular case.