Emphysematous cholecystitis is a rare but dangerous form of acute cholecystitis in which gas-producing bacteria infect the gallbladder wall. On ultrasound, the hallmark finding is gas within the gallbladder wall or lumen, which appears as bright, echogenic foci with dirty acoustic shadowing or reverberation artifacts. This condition occurs more frequently in older men, diabetic patients, and immunocompromised individuals, and it carries a much higher complication rate than ordinary cholecystitis, including a greater risk of gangrene and perforation. Recognizing the ultrasound findings of emphysematous cholecystitis is important because patients require urgent surgical intervention rather than the routine scheduled surgery that uncomplicated cholecystitis might receive.
Sonography Term