ACUTE CHOLANGITIS IN AN OBESE PATIENT: CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND BEST SURGICAL TECHNIQUES

Abstract

Acute cholangitis is a serious inflammatory condition of the biliary system often associated with significant complications, especially in patients with obesity. The prevalence of this condition has been increasing, highlighting the importance of understanding its specific clinical manifestations in this group of patients and the best available surgical approaches. Obesity itself represents an additional challenge due to anatomical and metabolic changes that can complicate both the diagnosis and effective treatment of acute cholangitis. Objective: This systematic literature review aims to synthesize current knowledge on the clinical manifestations of acute cholangitis in obese patients and examine the most effective surgical techniques employed for its management. Methodology: This review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The PubMed, Scielo and Web of Science databases were searched using the descriptors: "acute cholangitis", "obesity", "clinical manifestations", "surgical techniques" and "systematic review". Inclusion criteria: studies published in the last 10 years, focused on obese adult patients diagnosed with acute cholangitis, addressing clinical manifestations and surgical techniques. Exclusion criteria: duplicate studies, not available in full text and not written in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Results: Analysis of the selected articles revealed that the main topics covered include the atypical clinical presentation of acute cholangitis in obese patients, the effectiveness of minimally invasive techniques versus traditional approaches, and the specific challenges related to postoperative recovery in this population group. Conclusion: In summary, this review highlights the need for a personalized approach in the management of acute cholangitis in obese patients, considering both the clinical particularities and the nuances of the available surgical techniques. A detailed understanding of these aspects is crucial to optimize clinical outcomes and reduce morbidity and mortality rates associated with this challenging condition.