Gallbladder involvement of Henoch-Schönlein purpura mimicking acute acalculous cholecystitis.
OBJECTIVE
We report the case of a 53-year-old man with fever and severe abdominal pain following an upper respiratory tract infection.


RESULTS
The clinical signs, the laboratory markers, and the ultrasound findings were consistent with acute acalculous cholecystitis and he underwent cholecystectomy. Histologically the gallbladder showed vasculitis and the patient developed postoperatively a purpuric rash of the legs with transient ankle arthritis. Gastroscopy revealed prepyloric ulcers consistent with vasculitis. The patient was diagnosed as having Henoch-Schönlein purpura. Gastric ulcers as well as arthritis disappeared upon treatment with corticosteroids and proton pump inhibitors.


CONCLUSIONS
Taken together, Henoch-Schönlein purpura can mimic acute cholecystitis and should be considered as a rare differential diagnosis of acute cholecystitis.
Hoffmann
Jörg C
JC
Medizinische Klinik I mit Schwerpunkt Gastroenterologie/Infektiologie/Rheumatologie, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Deutschland. joerg.hoffmann@charite.de
Cremer
Philipp
P
Preiss
Jan C
JC
Ebhardt
Harald
H
Kruschewski
Martin
M
Buhr
Heinz-Johannes
HJ
Zeitz
Martin
M
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D042101:Acalculous Cholecystitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D011695:IgA Vasculitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors; D014657:Vasculitis
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors