Colecistitis enfisematosa, revisión bibliográfica y presentación de tres casos

Emphysematous cholecystitis is a rare presentation of acute cholecystitis, characterized by the presence of intramural or intraluminal gas; it can evolve to gangrenous cholecystitis and peritonitis, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Three clinical cases, all elderly men, are reported, who presented abdominal pain with gastrointestinal symptoms and signs of systematic inflammatory response. CT of abdomen showed the characteristic findings of emphysematous cholecystitis. The three patients underwent emergency cholecystectomy, and all had adequate postoperative evolution without complications or mortality.