Acute cholangitis

Acute cholangitis, or ascending cholangitis, is a form of cholangitis and refers to the acute bacterial infection of the biliary tree. It is a condition with high mortality that necessitates emergent biliary decompression. 

Clinical presentation

The classical presentation is the Charcot triad of fever, right upper quadrant abdominal pain, and jaundice, which is only seen in ~40% of patients. Patients can also present with Reynold pentad, which is Charcot triad with shock and altered mental status ^1,3,4. 

Pathology

Gram-negative enteric bacteria, most commonly Escherichia coli, are the primary pathogens ⁴. 

Acute cholangitis is seen in the setting of biliary tree obstruction ^1,3:

• choledocholithiasis (~80%)
• malignancy (~20%)
• sclerosing cholangitis
• biliary tree procedures, e.g. ERCP

Radiographic features

Acute cholangitis is typically a clinical diagnosis with imaging performed to determine if there is evidence of ^1,4:

• intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic duct dilatation (indicating obstruction/stasis)
• bile duct wall thickening or focal outpouchings
• cholelithiasis/choledocholithiasis

Ultrasound

A hallmark finding of ascending cholangitis on ultrasound is thickening of the walls of the bile ducts in the appropriate clinical setting. Ultrasound may also show biliary dilatation with calculi, with or without pus, which appears as debris material within the common bile duct. Choledocholithiasis is only detected in approximately 35% of cases using ultrasound ¹⁰. 

CT

Inhomogeneous liver enhancement on arterial-phase CT. This is a non-specific sign and should be interpreted in the correct clinical context ^2,3.

Treatment and prognosis

Treatment involves appropriate antibiotic therapy and biliary tree decompression (usually either via ERCP or PTC). Mortality rates are between 50-90% for severe acute cholangitis ^5,6.

Complications

• hepatic abscess
• portal vein thrombosis

History and etymology

Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893) was trained as a pathologist, but he was also a skilled practising physician, and for many the father of neurology - who also made important contributions to psychiatry. He also has the distinction of probably having more medical eponyms named for him than any other individual in history ^8,9.