[1-Minute Health] Sudden upper abdominal pain? It could be ‘cholecystitis’
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Gangnam St. Peter's Hospital 26-01-18 00:00Main content
[1-Minute Health] Sudden upper abdominal pain? It could be ‘cholecystitis’
Cholecystitis cases rise sharply, peaking after the age of 60
Healthcare Posted: 2026/01/18 12:00
Reporter Kim, Yang Kyun Subscribe to reporter page See other articles by this reporter
Cholecystitis is rising sharply among people in their 40s and 50s, so careful management is called for.
The gallbladder, known in Korean as 'sseulgae', is a digestive organ in the upper abdomen. With age, its risk of inflammation and gallstones tends to rise along with declining metabolism. The number of cholecystitis patients tends to increase in earnest from the 40s and 50s.
According to Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data, as of 2024 patients in their 40s with cholecystitis were about 1.4 times as numerous as those in their 30s. Patients in their 60s numbered twice as many as those in their 30s, the largest of any age band.
Photo = St. Peter's Hospital
The gallbladder is located near the liver, where it stores bile and sends it through the bile duct to the duodenum. For that reason, the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas are often examined together in clinical practice. If this bile duct becomes blocked or disturbed and bacteria invade the bile, cholecystitis develops.
Gallstones in particular are the most common cause of inflammation in the gallbladder. A gallstone is a hardened concretion formed by an imbalance in the components of the bile secreted by the liver. When a stone blocks the cystic duct, pressure inside the gallbladder rises and causes distension, which frequently leads to secondary inflammation. The great majority of acute cholecystitis is caused by gallstones, and in chronic cholecystitis as well, stones continuously irritate the gallbladder and cause histological changes in the organ, producing inflammation.
Obesity, diabetes, lipid abnormalities and other conditions involving fat deposition, raised cholesterol and metabolic disease are the main factors that increase the risk of gallstones. When eating habits such as overeating and a high-calorie diet persist, gallstone formation and inflammation tend to worsen the function of each organ.
If poor eating habits continue after middle age, there is a high risk of placing a cumulative and excessive burden on the gallbladder. Conversely, sudden weight loss also affects gallstone formation. In fact, there are reports that gallstones develop in about 25% of people who have gone on an extreme diet.
Cholecystitis shows markedly different symptoms in its acute and chronic forms. Many patients with acute cholecystitis show abnormal symptoms such as severe right upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever. On palpation, pressing the right upper abdomen may produce severe pain.
Chronic cholecystitis, by contrast, is often symptom-free, and when heaviness, discomfort or bloating do appear around the upper abdomen they are easily mistaken for a stomach problem.
Cholecystitis is diagnosed mainly with abdominal ultrasound. Ultrasound can detect roughly 90-95% of gallstones. In patients with cholecystitis, ultrasound may show stones within the gallbladder and a gallbladder wall thickened by inflammation or fibrosis. In acute cholecystitis in particular, blood tests may show an elevated white blood cell count, and fluid may be found collected around the gallbladder. Additional tests are also performed as needed to reach a diagnosis.
For acute cholecystitis, surgical treatment is performed as standard. The gallbladder is an organ that stores and concentrates bile, and normal digestive function is maintained after its removal. If symptoms are mild, oral dissolution therapy using medication to dissolve gallstones may be used, but it has the drawback that complete dissolution occurs in fewer than 30% of cases and about half recur after five years or more.
Cholecystitis cases rise sharply, peaking after the age of 60
Healthcare Posted: 2026/01/18 12:00
Reporter Kim, Yang Kyun Subscribe to reporter page See other articles by this reporter
Cholecystitis is rising sharply among people in their 40s and 50s, so careful management is called for.
The gallbladder, known in Korean as 'sseulgae', is a digestive organ in the upper abdomen. With age, its risk of inflammation and gallstones tends to rise along with declining metabolism. The number of cholecystitis patients tends to increase in earnest from the 40s and 50s.
According to Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data, as of 2024 patients in their 40s with cholecystitis were about 1.4 times as numerous as those in their 30s. Patients in their 60s numbered twice as many as those in their 30s, the largest of any age band.
Photo = St. Peter's Hospital
The gallbladder is located near the liver, where it stores bile and sends it through the bile duct to the duodenum. For that reason, the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas are often examined together in clinical practice. If this bile duct becomes blocked or disturbed and bacteria invade the bile, cholecystitis develops.
Gallstones in particular are the most common cause of inflammation in the gallbladder. A gallstone is a hardened concretion formed by an imbalance in the components of the bile secreted by the liver. When a stone blocks the cystic duct, pressure inside the gallbladder rises and causes distension, which frequently leads to secondary inflammation. The great majority of acute cholecystitis is caused by gallstones, and in chronic cholecystitis as well, stones continuously irritate the gallbladder and cause histological changes in the organ, producing inflammation.
Obesity, diabetes, lipid abnormalities and other conditions involving fat deposition, raised cholesterol and metabolic disease are the main factors that increase the risk of gallstones. When eating habits such as overeating and a high-calorie diet persist, gallstone formation and inflammation tend to worsen the function of each organ.
If poor eating habits continue after middle age, there is a high risk of placing a cumulative and excessive burden on the gallbladder. Conversely, sudden weight loss also affects gallstone formation. In fact, there are reports that gallstones develop in about 25% of people who have gone on an extreme diet.
Cholecystitis shows markedly different symptoms in its acute and chronic forms. Many patients with acute cholecystitis show abnormal symptoms such as severe right upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever. On palpation, pressing the right upper abdomen may produce severe pain.
Chronic cholecystitis, by contrast, is often symptom-free, and when heaviness, discomfort or bloating do appear around the upper abdomen they are easily mistaken for a stomach problem.
Cholecystitis is diagnosed mainly with abdominal ultrasound. Ultrasound can detect roughly 90-95% of gallstones. In patients with cholecystitis, ultrasound may show stones within the gallbladder and a gallbladder wall thickened by inflammation or fibrosis. In acute cholecystitis in particular, blood tests may show an elevated white blood cell count, and fluid may be found collected around the gallbladder. Additional tests are also performed as needed to reach a diagnosis.
For acute cholecystitis, surgical treatment is performed as standard. The gallbladder is an organ that stores and concentrates bile, and normal digestive function is maintained after its removal. If symptoms are mild, oral dissolution therapy using medication to dissolve gallstones may be used, but it has the drawback that complete dissolution occurs in fewer than 30% of cases and about half recur after five years or more.