Accuracy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis with coexistent acute pancreatitis

Abstract

Purpose: Acute cholecystitis and pancreatitis are acute forms of cholecystolithiasis. The presence of acute cholecystitis can lead to important changes in therapy in the early course of acute pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to identify the accuracy of ultrasonography in diagnosing acute cholecystitis with coexistent acute pancreatitis.

Methods: Subjects were all those patients admitted to our hospital with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis between 1998 and 2015 who underwent cholecystectomy within 15 days of the ultrasonography performed on admittance. Patient data were analyzed retrospectively to compare the ultrasound findings with the pathological findings of the resected gallbladders. Patients were allocated to two groups according to the signs of acute cholecystitis on ultrasonography: group 1 negative and group 2 positive.

Results: One hundred and twenty patients were enrolled in the study: 77 in group 1 and 43 in group 2. Similar results were found for the two groups with respect to the pathological diagnosis of acute cholecystitis, i.e., 31.2 % for group 1 and 27.9 % for group 2. Analysis indicated that there was no correlation between the ultrasonography data and pathological findings (p = 0.708).

Conclusions: On the basis of our study, ultrasound findings alone cannot be used to accurately diagnose acute cholecystitis in the setting of acute pancreatitis.

Keywords: Cholecystitis; Cholecystolithiasis; Gallstones; Pancreatitis; Ultrasonography.