Acute Cholecystitis at Initial Presentation of Microscopic Polyangiitis

Acute Cholecystitis in an Elderly Patient With Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis: A Case Report

A diagnosis of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis is difficult to establish in elderly patients. Herein, we report a case of acute cholecystitis mimicking sepsis in an elderly patient with ANCA-associated vasculitis. A 99-year-old woman was transferred to a rural community hospital on account of anorexia and hypotension; there, she was initially diagnosed with sepsis and treated accordingly. However, she developed new-onset right upper quadrant tenderness on indirect fist percussion of the liver, and Murphy’s sign was positive. While imaging did not reveal any findings suggestive of cholecystitis, the high index of suspicion for cholecystitis prompted an exploratory laparoscopy. Intraoperatively, the gallbladder wall was found to be inflamed, necessitating laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Histopathologic examination of the resected gallbladder showed neutrophilic infiltration and fibrinoid necrosis of the arterial walls. Perinuclear ANCA titers were elevated. These findings were consistent with a diagnosis of ANCA-associated vasculitis, and treatment with prednisolone markedly improved her condition. This case shows the difficulty encountered in differentiating between sepsis and ANCA-related vasculitis based on clinical features and relatively non-invasive diagnostic strategies alone. This study highlights the utility of invasive diagnostic procedures (e.g., biopsy) in elderly patients in whom a diagnosis of ANCA-associated vasculitis is difficult to establish.

Gallbladder bleeding associated with microscopic polyangiitis: a case report

A 71-year-old male who had a 6 years history of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) was admitted to our hospital with a chief complaint of upper abdominal pain and nausea. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT revealed extravasation of contrast medium in the gallbladder, and the patient was diagnosed with gallbladder bleeding. Although we started conservative treatment, anemia, hypotension and tachycardia had progressed gradually. Therefore, we performed emergent laparoscopic cholecystectomy on the following day. Intraoperative findings showed a remarkably distended gallbladder due to interior clots; however, the cholecystitis itself was not significant. Histopathological findings showed infiltrations of inflammatory cells around the blood vessels and vascular rupture. The postoperative course was uneventful. MPA is a type of ANCA-associated vasculitis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of gallbladder bleeding associated with MPA. Spontaneous hemostasis cannot be expected, instead, surgical treatment must be performed promptly.