gender predisposition in acute acalculous cholecystitis

 Q: Which gender has more predisposition to have acute acalculous cholecystitis (ACC)? (select one)

A) male

B) female

Answer: A

In contrast to calculous cholecystitis (CC) which is more common in females, acute acalculous cholecystitis has higher male preponderance by 40 to 80 percent. CC in females can be explained by elevated progesterone levels causing biliary stasis but there is no clear explanation of the higher rate of ACC in males, particularly elderly men. This calls for higher vigilance in ICU for sick elderly men with unexplained fever or abdominal pain.

#gastroenterology

References:

1. Barie PS. Acalculous and postoperative cholecystitis. In: Surgical intensive care, Barie PS, Shires GT (Eds), Little Brown & Co, Boston 1993. p.837. 

 2. Ganpathi IS, Diddapur RK, Eugene H, Karim M. Acute acalculous cholecystitis: challenging the myths. HPB (Oxford) 2007; 9:131.