Be Alert for Acalculous Cholecystitis
Meredith S. Tinti MD
Patrick K. Kim MD
Acute acalculous cholecystitis is an inflammatory process of the gallbladder in the absence of calculi. In contrast to acute cholecystitis, in which anatomic obstruction by gallstones is the primary process, obstruction is only variably present and is not the causative process in acalculous cholecystitis. The pathophysiology of acute acalculous cholecystitis is not clearly defined but is believed to be produced by a combination of systemic mediators of inflammation, biliary stasis, and ischemia. Although 60% to 90% of all postoperative or post-trauma cases of cholecystitis are acalculous, the overall incidence of acalculous cholecystitis in the intensive care unit is only 0.2%.
Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis of acalculous cholecystitis is often difficult and frequently delayed. In part, this is due to its preponderance in the difficult-to-examine critically ill patients with significant comorbidities. Early consideration of the disease and a high degree of suspicion are required to ensure prompt diagnosis. The delay in diagnosis and the ill patient population lead to a high rate of complication, such as gangrene or perforation (40% to 60%). The clinical findings are nonspecific and include fever, right upper quadrant abdominal pain, leukocytosis, and elevation of liver enzymes (LFTs) and bilirubin. Abdominal pain is the most consistent finding, but it is not always localized to the right upper quadrant; leukocytosis and elevated LFTs are present in approximately 75% of cases.