[Acute cholecystitis after placement of biliary endoprosthesis. Treatment by percutaneous cholecystostomy]

Seven cases of acute cholecystitis (4 women and 3 men, mean age 73 years) were observed in a series of 192 patients treated by endoprosthesis for cancerous obstruction of the bile ducts between october, 1984 and october, 1986. The suspected clinical diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasonography. Cholecystostomy was performed by percutaneous puncture under ultrasonic guidance. A catheter was positioned in the gallbladder by the Seldinger technique in 3 cases and by the trocar technique in 4 cases. Pain in the right hypochondrium was relieved in all patients immediately after emptying of the gallbladder. Five patients were cured. One patient developed purulent peritonitis which was treated by surgery. A female patient died of her pancreatic cancer 3 days after cholecystostomy. Provided a number of precautions are taken to prevent leakage of the infected bile into the peritoneal cavity, percutaneous cholecystostomy is the treatment of choice for acute cholecystitis consecutive to biliary endoprosthesis.