Chronic acalculous gallbladder disease: Multiimaging evaluation with clinical-pathologic correlation

Despite the recent advances in hepatobiliary imaging, the diagnosis of chronic acalculous gallbladder disease remains difficult. A retrospective study was undertaken to assess the value of multiimaging approach in detecting chronic acalculous gallbladder disease and in predicting which patients would obtain symptomatic relief after cholecystectomy. Of 199 patients with chronic cholecystitis, 26 (13%) had no gallstones. Of these 26, only 17 (65%) had symptoms related to chronic cholecystitis; in the remainder, the histologic diagnosis was made incidentally. After cholecystectomy, 13 (76%) of the 17 symptomatic patients obtained long-term symptomatic relief, while in four, the symptoms recurred. Among patients with histologic changes of chronic cholecystitis, biliary scintigraphy was the most sensitive technique (sensitivity, 89%). The sensitivity of sonography and oral cholecystography was 61.5% and 66%, respectively. However, for identifying symptomatic patients who may obtain long-term symptomatic relief after cholecystectomy, the accuracy of sonography, oral cholecystography, and biliary scintigraphy was 82%, 86%, and 38% respectively. When two tests were in agreement the accuracy was 88%. For chronic acalculous cholecystitis, more than one study must be performed in order to make the correct diagnosis and to predict good results from cholecystectomy.