Posttraumatic Cholecystitis

Six patients developed acute cholecystitis while recovering from multiple injuries. Five had fractures of one or more bones, and none had intraabdominal trauma. None of the patients had previous symptoms suggestive of gallbladder or other gastrointestinal disease. The postinjury course was complicated in four patients with such signs of morbidity as heart failure, anemia, fat embolization, and confusion. Cholecystectomy was performed in all cases. All gallbladders had areas of gangrene, but two contained no stones.