[Treatment of empyema of the gallbladder by endoscopic drainage]

Medical history of an old female patient is described. Gallstones were extracted from the main bile duct after endoscopic papillotomy when she was 83 ys old. Eighteen months later, she presented an obstruction of the cystic duct with a consecutive empyema of gallbladder. The obstruction was relieved mechanically by inserting a catheter through guide-wire in the cystic duct and moving the impacted stone into the gallbladder. A naso-cholecystic drain was placed and kept in the gallbladder for six days to assure free passage of bile and to administer local antibiotic treatment. The patient quickly recovered, she has not presented any repeated cholecystitis or cholangitis in the last year. It was pointed out, that the endoscopic access to the gallbladder became possible. This technique offers an alternative way in the treatment of patients with high operative risk.