Clinicopathological Study of Eosinophilic Cholecystitis: Five Year Single Institution Experience

Gallbladder diseases are very common in Northern India, most common of which is Chronic Cholecystitis. Rarely, histopathological diagnosis of Eosinophilic Cholecystitis (EC) is given when transmural cellular infiltrate consists of more than 90% eosinophils.

To determine the prevalence and clinicopathological profile of eosinophilic cholecystitis at a tertiary care hospital of New Delhi.

This was a retrospective clinicopathological study done on twenty two cases of eosinophilic cholecystitis over a period of five years from January 2011- December 2015. In cases diagnosed histopathologically as eosinophilic cholecystitis, clinical details were obtained from hospital records and slides were retrieved. Various histologic features, pattern of the inflammatory infiltrate and association of EC with other medical diseases, drugs and allergic states were evaluated.

Out of a total of 1370 cholecystectomy specimens received during five year period, Eosinophilic cholecystitis was diagnosed in 22 (1.6%) of the specimens. Clinically, seven of these patients had a clinical diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. Patient's age ranged from 25-64 years and male to female ratio was 1:2.7. Most common symptom reported was abdominal pain. Most of the cases showed gallstones radiologically (90%) while only two cases showed peripheral eosinophilia (9%). Histologically, mucosal and muscular eosinophilic infiltrate was seen in 72.6% of the cases. No association with drug therapy, allergies or other pre-existing medical conditions was noted.

EC is a relatively uncommon entity in which histopathology remains the main stay of diagnosis. Although the presentation may be similar to general cholecystitis, if a postoperative histopathological diagnosis of EC is made, then the patient must be investigated thoroughly to rule out other associated disease conditions, which may have a worse prognosis than cholecystitis itself.