Two Cases of Emphysematous Cholecystitis / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Emphysematous cholecystitis is an uncommon form of acute cholecystitis characterized by the presence of gas within the wall, lumen of the gall bladder or biliary ducts. Clinically it is very similar to ordinary farm. But since the risk of perforation is five times that expected from ordinary cholecystitis, early diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment are important. We could diagnose these cases by the simple abdomen, abdominal ultrasound and abdominal CT by the presence of air in the lumen and the wall of the gall bladder. Percutaneous trans hepatic gall bladder drainage (PTGBD) for decompression was used because poor general condition of patients and later, we could successfully perform the cholecystectomy without any complication. We presented two cases of emphysematous cholecystitis with review of the relevant literature on the subject.