Acute Alitasic Cholecystitis

Abstract

Acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) is the inflammatory disease of the gallbladder in the absence of gallstones. Typically affects critically ill patients. Diagnosis is not straightforward as Murphy’s sign is difficult to detect in critically ill and many imaging findings are numb or nonspecific. Acalculous cholecystitis is a life-threatening disorder that has a high risk of perforation and necrosis compared to the more typical calculous disease. Management involves a percutaneous cholecystostomy, a surgical cholecystectomy, or, more recently, a metal stent placed endoscopically through the gastrointestinal tract into the gallbladder. Acalculous cholecystitis is a serious illness that has high morbidity and mortality. The reported mortality of the condition varies from 30 to 50% depending on the age of the patient. Even those who survive have a long recovery that can take months.