CT findings of mild forms or early manifestations of acute cholecystitis.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine the most predictive CT feature of the mild forms or early manifestations of acute cholecystitis.


METHODS
Two radiologists analyzed CT of 34 patients with mild or early acute cholecystitis and 34 control patients for pericholecystic increased attenuation on the arterial phase, indistinctness of the interface between the gallbladder (GB) and the liver, enhancement of the GB wall, and increased attenuation of the GB bile.


RESULTS
There were significant differences in the mean values for each CT feature but increased attenuation of the GB bile between patients and control group (P<.05). The most significant predictor of mild or early acute cholecystitis on CT was the presence of pericholecystic increased attenuation on the arterial phase (sensitivity, 82.4%), followed by indistinctness of the interface between the GB and liver (sensitivity, 38.0%), which were identified by both observers with good agreement (kappa=0.735 and kappa=0.687).


CONCLUSIONS
The pericholecystic increased attenuation on arterial phase CT was the most significant predictor of mild forms or early manifestations of acute cholecystitis.
Kim
Young Kon
YK
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Medical School, Keum Am Dong, JeonJu, South Korea.
Kwak
Hyo Sung
HS
Kim
Chong Soo
CS
Han
Young Min
YM
Jeong
Tae Oh
TO
Kim
In Hee
IH
Yu
Hee Chul
HC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D041881:Cholecystitis, Acute / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002765:Cholecystography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*