Peritonitis and pneumoperitoneum due to emphysematous cholecystitis: a case report

Emphysematous cholecystitis is a rare variant of acute cholecystitis with high mortality and morbidity rate. Emphysematous cholecystitis most often occurs in older men and Emphysematous cholecystitis often occurs in patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and vascular disease. The combination of emphysematous cholecystitis and pneumoperitoneum is even rarer. In this study, we reported a rare case of pneumoperitoneum on plain abdominal X-ray with emphysematous cholecystitis in an 83-year-old woman.

The patient was 83 years old, lady who had been referred to the emergency department of Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in April 2019, due to diffuse abdominal pain that had started suddenly 3 days earlier. Pneumoperitoneum, the air in the gallbladder wall and the air encircling the gallbladder were reported in standing and supine abdominal x-rays and standing chest X-rays. At first, the patient was resuscitated and treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. After initial treatment, the patient underwent open cholecystectomy with a subcostal incision on the right and a diagnosis of emphysematous cholecystitis. After surgery, the patientchr('39')s general condition improved and she was discharged without mortality and morbidity with oral third-generation Cephalosporin antibiotics. The general condition of the patient after discharge was good in the examinations performed in the clinic of Ghaem Hospital, 1 and 3 months after discharge.

Emphysematous cholecystitis is a rare and severe form of acute cholecystitis that occurs due to the process of arterial ischemia caused by contamination with anaerobic bacteria and the formation of gas in the wall and lumen of the gallbladder. Emphysematous cholecystitis is more severe than other types of acute cholecystitis and has higher mortality and morbidity and is life-threatening. Due to the acute and progressive course of emphysematous cholecystitis, correct and timely diagnosis and treatment are important.