Chronic cholecystitis

Chronic cholecystitis is a chronic inflamation of the gallbladder.

• it is the most common form of symptomatic gallbladder disease
• 95% of cases are associated with gallstones
• is the indication for nearly 3% of cholecystectomies in adults (1)

The causes of chronic cholecystitis are:

• gallstones - the vast majority
• cholesterosis - the so-called strawberry gallbladder, where macrophages in the lamina propria are packed with cholesterol
• ceroid granulomas

This condition does not have a generally agreed clinical name and in some texts is known as gall stone or flatulent dyspepsia. Perhaps the best description of this condition would be chronic low-grade obstructive gall bladder disease.

Reference:

• (1) Elwood DR. Cholecystitis. Surg Clin North Am. 2008;88(6):1241-52