Current Status of Percutaneous Cholecystostomy for the Management of Cholecystitis

Acute cholecystitis can arise in two distinct patient populations: (1) the relatively healthy ambulatory patient who develops acute inflammation of the gallbladder as a result of gallstones and (2) the critically ill, hospitalized patient who may or may not have gallstones. For most patients with acute calculous cholecystitis, surgical removal of the gallbladder is the preferred treatment option. Surgical intervention is less certain for the critically ill, elderly, or debilitated patients with calculous or acalculous cholecystitis (AC). For these patients, less invasive but equally effective means of alleviating clinical symptoms of acute gallbladder plays an increasingly important role in patient management. This review will discuss the current role of percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) in the management acute cholecystitis.