Cholecystitis differential diagnosis

Acute cholecystitis

 * This should be suspected whenever there is acute right upper quadrant or epigastric pain.
 * Other possible causes include:
 * Perforated peptic ulcer
 * Acute peptic ulcer exacerbation
 * Amoebic liver abscess
 * Acute amoebic liver colitis
 * Acute pancreatitis
 * Acute intestinal obstruction
 * Renal colic
 * Acute retrocolic appendicitis

Chronic cholecystitis

 * The symptoms of chronic cholecystitis are non-specific, thus chronic cholecystitis may be mistaken for other common disorders:
 * Peptic ulcer
 * Hiatus hernia
 * Colitis
 * Functional bowel syndrome

Acalculous Cholecystitis

 * AIDS with cryptosporidiosis
 * AIDS with Cytomegalovirus
 * AIDS with microsporidiosis
 * Burns
 * Diabetes Mellitus
 * Idiopathic
 * Long-term total parenteral nutrition (TPN)
 * Major surgery
 * Myocardial infarction
 * Other cardiac disease
 * Prolonged fasting
 * Salmonella
 * Sepsis
 * Seriously ill patients
 * Severe trauma
 * Sickle Cell Disease

Calculous Cholecystitis (Cholelithiasis)

 * Female gender
 * Hormonal therapy in women
 * Idiopathic
 * Increasing age
 * Obesity
 * Pregnancy
 * Race: Scandinavians > African-Americans
 * Rapid weight loss