Acute bacterial cholangitis: an analysis of clinical manifestation
M. J. O'Connor, M. L. Schwartz, D. G. McQuarrie and H. W. Sumer
A retrospective study of 65 patients with biliary sepsis and mechanical
biliary obstruction, 19 of them with suppurative cholangitis (SC) and 46
with nonsuppurative cholangitis (NSC), was undertaken to identify
distinguishing characteristics of the two forms of the disease. There were
no statistically significant differences between SC and NSC based on
histologic data, physical findings, or preoperative laboratory values.
Mortality was significantly increased in patients with SC and in those with
both forms of the disease who were given medical therapy alone. The
treatment of choice for cholangitis with mechanical biliary obstruction is
early operative drainage of the biliary tree, regardless of the presence or
absence of suppuration in the common bile duct.
