Can acute cholecystitis produce obstructive jaundice in the absence of choledocholithiasis?

A case is presented of acute cholecystitis that produced extensive ascending, intrahepatic acute cholangitis (sufficient to produce obstructive jaundice of significant degree) without evidence of choledocholithiasis or ductal dilatation.Questions are raised concerning the present accepted clinical classification of both cholangitis and obstructive jaundice.