[Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis].

Ten cases of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis are presented, 5 women and 5 men, from a total of 439 cholecystectomies (2.2%). In 50% of cases the clinical course was consistent with acute cholecystitis; in 30%, gallbladder cancer was suspected preoperatively; and in 70% of cases cancer was suspected during surgery but intraoperative biopsies showed no malignancy. Definitive pathological findings included early carcinoma of the gallbladder in two patients, and a cholecystocolic fistula in one patient. A perforated gallbladder was found in one patient. The incidence of postoperative septic complications was 18.1%, a figure that doubles that of elective biliary surgery in our hospital.