Acute cholecystitis is inflammation of the gallbladder.
Your gallbladder is a small organ connected to your liver. It stores the bile produced in your liver, and releases it into your small intestines to help digest fat.
Around 95% of cases of acute cholecystitis are due to gallstones or biliary sludge (a mixture of bile and other matter) becoming trapped at the opening of the gallbladder.
The other 5% of cases usually involve people who have been treated in hospital for trauma or acute biliary illness (illness relating to bile or the liver).
Acute
Acute means occurring suddenly or over a short period of time.
Inflammation
Inflammation is the body's response to infection, irritation or injury, which causes redness, swelling, pain and sometimes a feeling of heat in the affected area.
Liver
The liver is the largest organ in the body. Its main jobs are to secrete bile (to help digestion), detoxify the blood and change food into energy.
Bile
Bile is the fluid produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder. It helps digest food.
Last updated: 04 October 2011
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