ACUTE CHOLECYSTITIS COMPLICATING SCARLET FEVER

Abstract

Although it is known that the gallbladder may become involved in scarlet fever, little on this subject can be found in the literature. Of the 12,352 patients with scarlet fever treated in the Willard Parker Hospital during the ten years ending Dec. 31, 1936, in only 2 has the condition been thought to be complicated by acute cholecystitis. We present here the records of these 2 patients and a review of the literature on the subject.In the majority of cases reported, symptoms of involvement of the gallbladder became manifest in the second or third week of the disease. In the case recently observed by us, however, the gallbladder became involved in the first week of illness.As to the pathologic basis of the condition, those who have observed cases of cholecystitis as a complication of scarlet fever differ in opinion. Schottmüller expressed the opinion that the toxin of Streptococcus