Ultrasound-guided percutaneous cholecystostomy as an initial treatment for acute cholecystitis in elderly patients

Acute cholecystitis may atypically present itself in the elderly, thus causing diagnostic and therapeutic problems, and it is well recognized as a high-risk condition for morbidity. The outcome has been attributed to the presence of severe co-morbid disease. In an attempt to minimize the postoperative morbidity and mortality, we performed ultrasound-guided percutaneous transhepatic cholecystostomy (PC) on elderly patients with acute cholecystitis for both initial treatment and subsequent diagnosis of their biliary tract disorders.

Those being more than 70 years old, had acute episode of cholecystitis for more than 48 h and still had positive Murphy's signs and distended gallbladders were candidates for ultrasound-guided PC.

Forty-two elderly patients underwent ultrasound-guided PC. Once the condition of each patient showed signs of improvement and stability, cholangiography was performed via PC tube. The results of the cholangiography showed 20 patients with gallbladder stones, 16 with common bile duct stones and 6 with acalculous cholecystitis. Once stable enough, 32 patients underwent definite surgery, 18 having cholecystectomies, 14 having cholecystectomies and choledocholithotomies. The 6 patients with acalculous cholecystitis had the PC tube removed 3 weeks later, without further surgery. Two patients had gallbladder stones removed by choledochofiberscope. Two patients had common bile duct stone removed by endoscopic sphincteroplasty. Although postoperative complications occurred in 5 patients (11.9%), no instance of operative mortality was found.

Our findings lead us to conclude that the use of PC in the early treatment of acute cholecystitis in elderly patients can decrease postoperative morbidity and mortality.