[Clinical characteristics of acute cholecystitis in males]

The analysis of 682 case histories of males suffering from acute cholecystitis suggested a conclusion on occasional deviations in clinical manifestations of the disease in males. Various combinations of complications are not a rare finding making the diagnosis problematic. Acute destructive process in the gall bladder occurs in the presence of chronic inflammatory and infiltrative alterations in the hepatopancreatoduodenal area. Clinically, general symptoms of endotoxicosis dominate, local signs presenting indistinctly. Late diagnosis results in late surgical treatment: 9.2% of the admitted patients only are operated on within 24 hours since hospitalization. The authors hold that choledochotomy is indicated to 50.7% of the patients. Lethal postoperative outcome was registered in 2.2% of those operated on. The deaths were attributed to cardiovascular and hepatic failure.