Focal acute cholecystitis misdiagnosed as gallbladder carcinoma

• Published in: Journal of ultrasound Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 187 - 191
• Main Authors: D’Alessandro, G. L., Ancona, G., Dellafiore, C., Raimondi, A., Gangemi, D., Arpa, G., Poma, G., Above, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.03.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Calculi; Case Report; Cholecystitis, Acute - diagnostic imaging; Cholecystitis, Acute - pathology; Cholecystitis, Acute - surgery; Diagnostic Errors; Gallbladder; Gallbladder - diagnostic imaging; Gallbladder - pathology; Gallbladder - surgery; Gallbladder Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Imaging techniques; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Thickening; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome; Ultrasound; Gallbladder wall-thickening; Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Non-Hepatic Applications; Biliary tract disease; Acute cholecystitis; Gallbladder carcinoma
• ISSN: 1876-7931; 1971-3495; 1876-7931
• DOI: 10.1007/s40477-025-00995-z

Thickening of the gallbladder wall is often associated with acute or chronic cholecystitis, adenomyomatosis and gallbladder carcinoma or seen in the context of liver and systemic diseases (acute hepatitis, cirrhosis, sepsis). Here we present a case of a 61 y.o. man with focal thickening of the gallbladder wall, in whom all imaging techniques were inconclusive. Pathological examination of the resected gallbladder revealed acute-on-chronic cholecystitis. We describe focal acute cholecystitis in absence of the classic clinical and imaging findings (Murphy’s sign, fever, gallstones, hydrops, pericholecystic fluid) and mimicking a gallbladder carcinoma.