The need for new "patient-related" guidelines for the treatment of acute cholecystitis

Heterogeneity of patients affected by acute cholecystitis, and their co-morbidities make very difficult to standardize the therapy for this very common condition. The staging system suggested in the recent "Tokyo guidelines", did not show a relevant impact on the management of patients and on the outcome of the disease. The relation among local pathological picture, patient clinical status and treatment algorithm, has to be better studied. © 2011 Campanile et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.