Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis: report of seven cases.

Seven cases of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis collected over a 16-year period are reported. Their clinical presentation is that of a conventional chronic inflammatory gallbladder disease. Sometimes a mass lesion is mimicked radiographically and during surgery. The distinctive tissue reaction and cholesterol content of the lesion are emphasized in this study. Chronic infection and concurrent calculi have been implicated in the pathogenesis.