Diseases of the hepatobiliary system as a cause of acute abdomen

Diseases of the liver and biliary system are common causes of acute abdominal pain and gallstone disease predisposes to cholecystitis and cholangiolithiasis. Sonography is the method of choice for the assessment of cholecystitis, whereas magnetic resonance cholangiopancreaticography (MRCP) is the standard technique to detect stones in the common bile duct. Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) is ideal for detection of associated complications, including abscess formation and gall stone ileus. Pyogenic, amebic and fungal liver abscesses are reliably diagnosed with MDCT which can also be used for interventional radiologic therapy of liver abscesses by percutaneous aspiration or drainage procedures. The second most common cause of liver rupture after blunt trauma is spontaneous rupture of hypervascular liver tumors (i.e., HCC, adenoma, angiosarcoma) and due to medical procedures. Multi-phase contrast-enhanced MDCT can reliably detect active bleeding to guide further therapy in these cases. © 2010 Springer Medizin Verlag.