Gangrenous cholecystitis is a kind of acute cholecystitis, whose course of disease progresses rapidly, early diagnosis is difficult and mortality is high, and clinicians are prone to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis in clinical work.However, gangrenous cholecystitis has been ignored in various guidelines.This paper systematically summarized the pathogenesis, pathological manifestations, epidemiology, clinical diagnosis and treatment of gangrenous cholecystitis, hoping to provide a complete and clear diagnosis and treatment process for clinicians.
Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystitis/surgery* ; Cholecystitis, Acute/surgery* ; Gangrene/surgery* ; Humans

Acute cholecystitis after cardiac surgery is rare but carries a high mortality. Intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) is effective and useful device for mechanical assistance for heart. We reported a case of 34-year-old patient who had experienced pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure during cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis after cardiac surgery. Thus, the patient was mechanically supported with IABP and hemodynamics and cardiac function were improved.
Adult ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystitis ; Cholecystitis, Acute ; Heart ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Thoracic Surgery

No abstract available.
Cholecystitis, Acute/*surgery ; Drainage/*methods ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/*methods ; Female ; Gallbladder/*surgery ; Humans ; Male

No abstract available.
Cholecystitis, Acute/*surgery ; Drainage/*methods ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/*methods ; Female ; Gallbladder/*surgery ; Humans ; Male

PURPOSE: Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis_(XGC) is an unusual and destructive inflammatory process of the gallbladder and it's characterized by severe proliferative fibrosis. XGC usually presents with features of chronic cholecystitis or acute cholecystitis, yet clinically, radiologically and macroscopically, XGC may be difficult to differentiate from gallbladder cancer. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the radiologic features of XGC and their correlation with the clinical, pathologic and surgical findings. METHODS: We performed retrospective analysis on 14 cases of XGCs that were operated on between March 1999 and December 2005. The clinical features, preoperative radiologic findings, operative findings and postoperative courses were reviewed. RESULTS: Fourteen cases of XGC were found among 1451 cases of cholecystectomy (0.96%). Mirizzi's syndrome was observed in 35.7% of the patients. Cholelithiasis and a thickened gallbladder wall were frequent findings. The most characteristic CT finding was hypodense intramural nodule like microabscess, and this was seen in 42.8% of the patients. The most characteristic sonographic finding was the presence of hypoechoic nodule in the gallbladder wall, and this was seen in 55.5% of the patients. 9 patients underwent open cholecystectomy including one case of T-tube choledocholithotomy. Four of five patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy required conversion to open surgery. A malignant lesion was suspected preoperatively in two cases, and both underwent frozen biopsy during surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Although the preoperative diagnosis of XGC is difficult, the presence of hypodense intramural nodule on CT or hypoechoic nodule in the gallbladder wall on sonography is highly suggestive of XGC. As XGC may resemble malignancy, differentiation is essential, via intraoperative frozen biopsy to deliver the optimal surgical treatment.
Biopsy ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Cholecystitis* ; Cholecystitis, Acute ; Cholelithiasis ; Conversion to Open Surgery ; Diagnosis ; Fibrosis ; Gallbladder ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Humans ; Mirizzi Syndrome ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: For patients with acute cholecystitis, conversion from laparoscopic cholecystectomy to open surgery is not uncommon due to possibilities of serious hemorrhage at the liver bed and bile duct injury. Recent studies reported successful laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and feasibility of such an operation based on the experience of surgeons at our facility. METHODS: In this study, we enrolled 144 patients who had received either laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSC), laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), or open cholecystectomy (OC) for acute cholecystitis from January 2004 to December 2009 at the Department of Surgery of our hospital. Their symptoms, signs, operative findings, pathologic results and postoperative results were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: There were 26 patients in the LSC group 80 in the LC group and 38 in the OC group. There were no differences in mean age, sex, and symptoms of acute cholecystitis. The LSC group showed higher CRP levels (p<0.001) and a higher grade according to the Tokyo criteria (p=0.001). The mean operative time was 115.6 minutes and mean blood loss was 158.9 ml without intra-operative or postoperative transfusion. There weren't any bile duct injuries during the operation. No group suffered bile leakage. Drains were removed 3.3 days after the operation in the LC group, the shortest time compared to the other groups (p<0.001). LC and LSC groups demonstrated shorter postoperative hospital days and time to diet resumption than the OC group (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: LSC appears to be a safe and effective treatment in cases of severe acute cholecystitis that require consideration of conversion to open surgery.
Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Cholecystitis, Acute ; Conversion to Open Surgery ; Diet ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Liver ; Operative Time ; Tokyo

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has been performed even in case of acute cholecystitis and GB empyema with increasing experience of laparoscopic surgery. Many previous studies has been recommended early laparoscopic cholecystectomy in acute cholecystitis. METHODS: From February, 1997 to January, 2000, 364 patients were attempted to laparoscopic cholecystectomy and 71 patients of them were attempted to laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to acute cholecytitis. They were divided into 4 groups based on the time of operation form the onset of symptom. These groups were compared in conversion rate and postoperative clinical outcomes, such as operation time, time of bowel movement, starting diet, starting soft diet and discharge. The affecting factors on conversion were analyzed (age, sex, fever, murphy sign, accompanying pancreatitis, SGOT/SGPT, alkaline phosphatase, GB wall thickening, WBC count). RESULTS: Among 71 patients who were attempt to laparoscopic cholecystectomy in acute cholecystitis, 20 patients (28.1%) required converting to open surgery. There were no statistically significant difference in clinical outcomes and conversion rate between four groups (p>0.568). In univariate analyis, high frequency of conversion to open surgery in acute cholecystitis was observed in male (p=0.012). CONCLUSION: Even though conversion rate to open surgery is still high in acute cholecystitis, the time of laparoscopic surgery in acute cholecystits does not affect on the conversion rate and postoperative clinical outcomes. Considering of the hospital stay and its related economic problems, laparoscopic cholecystectomy should be attempted as soon as possible without hesitation. It may be due to advanced laparoscopic techniques and experiences.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic* ; Cholecystitis, Acute* ; Conversion to Open Surgery ; Diet ; Empyema ; Fever ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Pancreatitis

Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative and granulomatous disease, characterized by the formation of abscess, draining sinuses, abundant granulation, and dense fibrous tissue. Actinomycosis of the gallbladder is extremely rare. We report a case of an 56-years old man who abruptly presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Abdominal CT showed that the gallbladder had 2 cm sized stone and an edematous thick wall. Our preoperative diagnosis was acute calculous cholecystitis. After the management of acute cholecystitis, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed but converted to open surgery due to severe adhesion to liver and greater omentum. Partial cholecystectomy was performed. Histologic section of the gallbladder showed sulfur granule with gram-positive branching bacilli compatible with actinomyces. After cholecystectomy, the patient received intravenous penicillin G for 2 weeks, followed by oral penicillin for 3 months.
Actinomycosis/*diagnosis/drug therapy/pathology ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystitis, Acute/*diagnosis/surgery ; Gallbladder Diseases/*diagnosis/drug therapy/pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Penicillins/administration & dosage ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has replaced open cholecystectomy (OC) for the treatment of gallbladder disease. However certain cases still require conversion to open procedures. Identifying these patients at the risk of conversion remains difficult. This study evaluated risk factors that may predict conversion from a laparoscopic to an open procedure. METHODS: From January 1994 to December 2004, a total of 582 laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed at Seoul Medical Center. A retrospective analyses of clinical parameters including patient demographics, clinical histories, laboratory data, ultrasound results, intraoperative details and postoperative pathologic findings were performed. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients (5.2%) had their cholecystectomies converted to an open procedure. Causes for conversion were inability to correctly identify the anatomy of surgical field due to adhesion and inflammation (56.7%), bile duct injury (13.3%), bleeding (13.3%) and others (16.7%). Univariate analysis showed that ASA (the classification of American Society of Anesthesiologists, p = 0.034), previous abdominal operation history (p = 0.008), RUQ tenderness(right upper quadrant tenderness, p = 0.002), acute cholecystitis (p < 0.001) and time elapsing between diagnosis and operation (p = 0.013) to be risk factors. Multivariate analysis revealed that acute cholecystitis (4.2 greater odds ratio [OR] of conversion, p = 0.002) and previous abdominal operation history (3.6 greater odds ratio [OR] of conversion, p = 0.003) were positive independent predictive factors for conversion to open cholecystectomy. CONCLUSION: Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and beneficial procedure in the management of patients with gallbladder disease, there are still many chances of conversion of laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy. In this study, patients with acute cholecystitis and previous abdominal operation histories were more likely to require conversion to an open procedure. These two positive independent predictive factors can help operators to make early decision and to counsel patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy with regards to the posibility of conversion to an open procedure.
Bile Ducts ; Cholecystectomy* ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Cholecystitis, Acute ; Classification ; Conversion to Open Surgery ; Demography ; Diagnosis ; Gallbladder Diseases ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the standard treatment for acute cholecystitis. Percutaneous cholecystostomy is an alternative treatment to resolve acute inflammation in patients with severe comorbidities. The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal timing of laparoscopic cholecystectomy after percutaneous cholecystostomy for the patients with acute cholecystitis. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in patients who underwent cholecystectomy after percutaneous cholecystostomy from January 2010 through November 2014. Seventy-four patients were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups by the operation timing. Group I patients underwent cholecystectomy within 10 days after percutaneous cholecystostomy (n=30) and group II patients underwent cholecystectomy at more than 10 days after percutaneous cholecystostomy (n=44). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups in conversion rate to open surgery, operation time, perioperative complications rate, and days of hospital stay after operation. However, complications related to cholecystostomy such as catheter dislodgement occurred significantly more often in group II than group I (group I:group II=0%:18.2%; p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Timing of laparoscopic cholecystectomy after percutaneous cholecystostomy did not influence postoperative outcomes. However, late surgery caused more complications related to cholecystostomy than early surgery. Therefore, early laparoscopic cholecystectomy should be considered over late surgery after percutaneous cholecystostomy insertion.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic/adverse effects ; Cholecystitis, Acute/*diagnosis/surgery ; Cholecystostomy ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies