Gangrenous cholecystitis complicating pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: a case report

Gangrenous cholecystitis (GC) is a serious complication of acute cholecystitis. Preoperative diagnosis of this condition maybe difficult and often entertained after deterioration of a patient suspected of having simple or uncomplicated cholecystitis. It was previously demonstrated that 39.8% of patients presenting with acute cholecystitis were found to have gangrenous transformation. To our knowledge, this condition has never been reported in the English literature as a complication of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This report demonstrates the importance of considering gangrenous cholecystitis as a potential cause of acute illness in the setting of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.