[Acute acalculous cholecystitis. Results of surgical treatment]

During an 11 year period, 47 patients with acute acalculous cholecystitis were operated on. Two to one male/female ratio was observed with a mean age of 55 age of 55 years. No one had a past history of biliary tract pathology but 70 per cent of the patients had risk factors, mainly diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and collagenous diseases, some different of those reported in the world literature (sepsis, trauma, non biliary tract surgery, etc.). The ultrasound was the best diagnostic tool. Open cholecystectomy was performed in all patients and some sort of local complication was found in 85 per cent of patients (empyema, gangrene or perforation) in spite of the surgical procedure was done on emergency or early elective basis, a 31 per cent operative mortality rate was found and a 10.6% Operative mortality rates was observed. The bacterial cultures showed gram negative and anaerobic flora. This report shows that an early diagnosis and surgical treatment keeps a low morbidity and mortality rates but the gallbladder late complications have a high rates.