[Polyarteritis nodosa diagnosed in acute cholecystectomy]

Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a serious systemic vasculitis, which untreated has a five year survival rate of less than 15%. In the present case PAN was diagnosticed in a 72-year old Asian woman by microscopy of a gall bladder in acalculous cholecystitis. We conclude that PAN must be considered in patients with symptoms from several different organs and evidence of vascular involvement can be obtained by histological investigation of material from involved organs or mesenterial angiography.