[Acute acalculous cholecystitis--difficulties of diagnosis and treatment]

Acute acalculous cholecystitis is defined by ultrasonographic, intraoperative and pathologic findings of acute cholecystitis, without evidence of gallstones. It is associated to recent operations, trauma, burns, multisystem organ failure and parenteral nutrition. It can also occur as the first episode, in patients with pathological conditions which generate local ischemia: diabetes mellitus, malignant disease, abdominal vasculitis, congestive heart failure. The authors present a series of 20 patients, operated in the Surgical Department of the Clinical Hospital "Dr. I. Cantacuzino", between 2004 and 2010. There are analysed the significant risk factors, the diagnostic methods and the surgical procedures--laparoscopic or classical cholecystectomies. Among the 20 patients, 14 had a favorable postoperative evolution, 4 had wound infections and in 1 patient a cerebral vascular stroke occurred in the 2nd day after the operation. Another patient died 3 days after the operation, due to an extended myocardial infarction. The medical literature referring to this subject is also reviewed.