CT findings in acute cholecystitis: Value of pericholecystic fat stranding

Purpose: To evaluate the significance of pericholecystic fat stranding on C T, and to compare it to other CT findings in patients with acute cholecysti tis. Materials and methods: The CT examinations of 14 patients with proven acute cholecystitis were retrospectively reviewed and evaluated for the presence of findings consistent with this diagnosis. Results: The most common CT finding was stranding of the pericholecystic fa t (13 patients), followed by gallbladder distension (11 patients). Perichol ecystic or perihepatic fluid was present in 6 patients in association with severe acute cholecystitis (6 patients) and biliary peritonitis (2 patients ). Conclusion: Stranding of the pericholecystic fat was the most common CT fin dings in patients with acute cholecystitis, followed by gallbladder distens ion.