Bouveret syndrome associated with acute gangrenous cholecystitis. (41/109)

An 89-year-old patient was hospitalized with signs of acute lithiasic cholecystitis and gastric emptying failure. The decision for surgery was taken and a subhepatic block was evidenced, caused by a perforated gangrenous cholecystitis with pericholecystic abscess, a cholecysto-antroduodenal fistula with two gallstones, 9/5 and 4/3 cm in size, impacted in the duodenum. It was necessary to perform an Y-en-Roux antroduodenojejunal anastomosis because an antroduodenal parietal defect resulted after the removal of the gangrenous gallbladder. The immediate and long term postoperative evolution in terms of anastomosis functionality was good.  (+info)

Removing symptomatic gallstones at their first emergency presentation. (42/109)

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Predicting the success of endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage for patients with acute cholecystitis during pretreatment evaluation. (43/109)

INTRODUCTION: Although endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETGBD) has been reported to be an effective treatment for acute cholecystitis, technical difficulties have precluded more widespread use of this technique. Case evaluations that can predict the occurrence of such difficulties should increase the acceptance of ETGBD for acute cholecystitis treatment. OBJECTIVE: To establish a pretreatment evaluation protocol for patients with acute cholecystitis. METHODS: Eleven patients with acute cholecystitis who received ETGBD in 2003 or 2004 were enrolled in the present retrospective study. The frequency of success, complications and overall effectiveness of ETGBD for treatment of cholecystitis were measured. Factors that could affect ETGBD success, including clinical and laboratory parameters, and gallbladder ultrasonograms, were also evaluated. RESULTS: ETGBD was successful in seven of 11 patients (success rate 63.6%). All seven patients who underwent ETGBD successfully were afebrile and asymptomatic within a few days. No clinical or laboratory variables were significantly associated with the success of ETGBD. In contrast, ultrasonographic measures of gallbladder minor-axis length and wall thickness in successful cases were significantly shorter (27.4 mm versus 38.0 mm; P=0.008) and thinner (4.2 mm versus 9.0 mm; P=0.041) relative to unsuccessful cases. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonographic measures of gallbladder minor-axis length and wall thickness can serve as important predictors of ETGBD technical difficulties during pretreatment evaluation of patients with acute cholecystitis.  (+info)

Timing of early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. (44/109)

OBJECTIVE: Although many surgeons advocate early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in acute cholecystitis, debate still exists regarding its optimal timing. This study compares the outcome of LC performed within and after 72 hours of admission in patients with acute cholecystitis. METHODS: Between January 2001 and December 2006, LC was performed in 196 consecutive patients with acute cholecystitis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed within 72 hours of admission in 82 patients (group 1) and after 72 hours in 114 patients (group 2). Data were collected prospectively. RESULTS: Both groups were matched in terms of age, sex, body mass index, fever, white blood cell count, and ultrasound findings. The overall conversion rate was 5%. No significant difference existed in conversion rates between group 1 (2.4%) and group 2 (7%) (P=0.3). The operation time (105 versus 126 minutes, P=0.008), complications (0% versus 6%, P=0.02), and total hospital stay (5 versus 12 days, P<0.001) were significantly reduced in group 1. No deaths occurred in this study. CONCLUSION: Early LC can be performed safely in most patients with acute cholecystitis, but we recommend intervention within 72 hours of admission to minimize the complication rate and shorten the operation time and total hospital stay.  (+info)

Spontaneous necrosis of solid gallbladder adenocarcinoma accompanied with pancreaticobiliary maljunction. (45/109)

A 71-year-old Japanese man with acute cholecystitis and an incarcerated gallbladder (GB) stone was admitted. Plain ultrasonography (US) incidentally detected a mass-like lesion in the fundus. Doppler US revealed that this elevated lesion had no blood flow. Computed tomography showed a relatively low-density mass, measuring 5 cm multiply 4 cm in diameter, with no positive enhancement. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass in the fundus with a slightly low intensity on T1-weighted images and a slightly high intensity on T2-weighted images. We were agonized in making the qualitative diagnosis of mass-like lesions of the fundus, such as a benign tumor, cancer, or debris. We performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy, because the incarcerated GB stone clearly caused acute cholecystitis. Intra-operative cholangiography clearly revealed pancreaticobiliary maljunction. Amylase levels in the common bile duct and gallbladder were quite high. The elevated lesion in the fundus clearly showed severe necrosis. Although this necrotic nodule included non-viable adenocarcinoma cells, viable cancer cell nests were located in the muscularis propria and subcutaneous layer. Histopathological examination confirmed a solid adenocarcinoma. Thus, we diagnosed it as a gallbladder cancer, based on histopathological analysis of the resected specimen. We therefore undertook radical surgery, including wedge resection of the liver, radical dissection of regional lymph nodes, and resection of the extrahepatic bile duct. Histopathological findings revealed no cancer, hyperplasia or dysplasia in the additionally resected specimens. The patient was finally staged as T2, N0, H0, P0, M(-), stage II. We present the first case of spontaneous necrosis of solid gallbladder adenocarcinoma, with a review of previous studies.  (+info)

Is complicated gallstone disease preceded by biliary colic? (46/109)

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Urgent cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis in a district general hospital - is it feasible? (47/109)

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Gallbladder metastasis from renal cell carcinoma mimicking acute cholecystitis. (48/109)

Renal cell carcinoma constitutes about 3% of adult malignancies. It has a high metastatic potential associated with synchronous or metachronous metastatic disease. Further, it is known to metastasize mainly to the lung, bone, brain, liver, or adrenal glands. In very rare cases it can metastasize to the gallbladder mimicking acute cholecystitis on clinical exam. In this case we present a patient who developed a gallbladder metastasis five years after a renal cell carcinoma mimicking acute cholecystitis.  (+info)