Eosinophilic infiltration in gallbladder pathologies: A clinical dilemma

Objectives: To determine the clinicopathological features and prevalence of Eosinophilic cholecystitis (EC) with a single-center experience. Eosinophilic cholecystitis is an exceedingly uncommon pathologic issue caused by examining cholecystectomy specimens. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 8,342 cholecystectomy specimens. Of these, 33 pathology results confirmed EC and were re-examined by pathologists. This study obtained demographic data, medical histories, comorbidities, clinical laboratory results, radiological findings, and pathological information from an electronic record system. Results: The average age of the patients was 47 years, with a range of 24 to 82 years. Acute cholecystitis was reported in 5 (15.6%), chronic cholecystitis in 25 (75.8%), and cholelithiasis in 3 (9.1%) gallbladder specimens. Five of the 33 patients had liver hydatid cysts. There was no statistically significant difference in parameters such as blood eosinophil count, eosinophil ratio, eosinophil count in the gallbladder wall, and gallbladder wall thickness between patients with and without liver hydatid cysts who had eosinophilic cholecystitis. Conclusion: Eosinophilic infiltration is a component of inflammatory processes, including acute and chronic inflammation. Importantly, hydatid cysts can be observed in the liver, which relates to EC. In our study, no distinct clinical, laboratory, or radiological findings of EC were identified, and the diagnosis of EC was made pathologically.