A Rare Ultrasonographic Finding of Emphysematous Cholecystitis: The Champagne Sign

Abstract

Background: Emphysematous cholecystitis (EC) is a form of cholecystitis with high mortality rates more commonly seen in patients with medical histories such as diabetes, hypertension, and peripheral vascular disease. The common features of these medical diseases are impaired pain perception, particularly abdominal pain, due to advanced age and peripheral neuropathies. Accurate evaluation of characteristics observed at ultrasonography, the method of first choice in the diagnosis of EC, is therefore highly important in these patients.

Case report: This study reports a case of the champagne sign, rarely seen in EC, together with other EC findings. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: The champagne sign is a little-known sonographic finding that is evidence of the presence of gas in the gallbladder. The champagne sign that will be detected while evaluating the hepatobiliary system on bedside ultrasound is one of the valuable findings in the diagnosis of emphysematous cholecystitis with high mortality.

Keywords: abdominal pain; bedside ultrasound; bubble sign; effervescent gallbladder.