MediAI

 CT, X-ray, and HIDA Imaging Findings, Diagnosis, Differential Diagnosis, and Emergency Treatment Introduction Acute emphysematous cholecystitis is a rare but highly lethal variant of acute cholecystitis characterized by gas formation within the gallbladder lumen, wall, and occasionally the biliary tree .  It is frequently associated with ischemia of the gallbladder wall , rapid progression to gangrene , and a significantly increased risk of perforation and sepsis . In clinical practice, this condition is a true emergency: delayed recognition may result in catastrophic outcomes, including peritonitis and death. From an imaging perspective, emphysematous cholecystitis is one of the most important right upper quadrant emergencies because the disease may initially present with subtle CT findings , and the hallmark gas in the wall may appear later, as demonstrated in the attached case. This Blogspot medical column reviews the disease comprehensively—including pathophysiolog...