Bile peritonitis in acute cholecystitis.

In a series of 20 patients with bile peritonitis seen during a 15-year period, 15 were men and 5 women, with an average of 72 years. They represented 1.8% of 1123 patients with acute cholecystitis admitted during the same period. Three patients were not operated upon and all died, while 5 of 17 operated patients died. The high mortality rate is due to a delay in diagnosis and treatment. Early operative treatment of acute cholecystitis should be resorted to whenever possible.