Acute Cholecystitis & Cholelithiasis
Acute inflammatory breakdown of gallbladder wall caused by cystic duct gallstone impaction
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
Severe constant right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain radiating to the right scapula/shoulder, positive Murphy sign, fever, leukocytosis.
Action
Cystic duct obstruction causes bile stasis and mucosal ischemia, triggering release of inflammatory lysolecithin followed by secondary bacterial invasion (E. coli, Klebsiella).
Clinical notes
Abdominal ultrasound is the primary modality of choice. Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy within 72 hours of admission is the gold standard.