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Case Reports
. 2025 Feb 16;17(2):e79105.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.79105. eCollection 2025 Feb.

The Role of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists in Acute Cholecystitis After a Routine Colonoscopy: A Case Report

Ahmad Abdulraheem  1 , Dania Shukri  2 , Nadera Altork  1 , Usman Afzal  1 , Mohammed Abu-Rumaileh  3 , Alireza Meighani  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

The Role of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists in Acute Cholecystitis After a Routine Colonoscopy: A Case Report

Ahmad Abdulraheem et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Colonoscopy (CLN) is a common procedure for colon cancer screening and diagnosing various conditions. Acute cholecystitis (AC), though rare, has been reported as a complication. We present a 66-year-old female on semaglutide for obesity who developed AC within 72 hours post-CLN. Considering the increasing use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and their impact on gallbladder motility, these medications may contribute to this complication. Future research is crucial to investigate whether a washout period for GLP-1 agonists before CLN is needed to reduce the risk of AC, if such a risk exists.

Keywords: acute cholecystitis; colonoscopy complications; glp-1 receptor agonist; pericholecystic fluid; semaglutide.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. CT Abdomen showing distended GB, GS in the GB and extensive pericholecystic fat stranding. A- Cross sectional view. B- Coronal sectional view.
CT: Computed tomography. GB: Gallbladder. GS: Gallstones
Figure 2
Figure 2. Abdominal ultrasound showing gallbladder stones and thickened gallbladder walls.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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