Etiology

• Acute calculous cholecystitis: most common form

  • Cause: obstructing cholelithiasis

  • Pathophysiology

    • Cholelithiasis → passage of gallstones into the cystic duct → cystic duct obstruction → distention and inflammation of the gallbladder

    • Secondary bacterial infection may also be present (E. coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Enterococcus spp. most common) but is not necessary for the development of cholecystitis.

5–10% of acute cholecystitis

• See ”Acalculous cholecystitis” in “Subtypes and variants” section