Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42072826›Full record

ReviewDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Chronic Cholecystitis: Anatomical Variants, Pediculitis, and a Candidate Preoperative Framework for Difficult Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

Georgiana-Andreea Marinescu, Sarmis Marian Sandulescu, Dumitru Radulescu, Oana Taisescu, Emil-Tiberius Trasca, Elena-Irina Caluianu, Dorin Mercut, Razvan Mercut, Eleonora Daniela Ciupeanu-Calugaru, Alexandru Stefarta and 2 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Georgiana-Andreea MarinescuDoctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2 Petru Rareș Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Sarmis Marian SandulescuDepartment of Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2-4 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Dumitru RadulescuDepartment of Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2-4 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania.ORCID 0009-0003-3990-6483
Oana TaisescuDepartment of Human Anatomy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2-4 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Emil-Tiberius TrascaDepartment of Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2-4 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Elena-Irina CaluianuDepartment of Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2-4 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Dorin MercutDepartment of Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2-4 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Razvan MercutDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Eleonora Daniela Ciupeanu-CalugaruDepartment of Biology and Environmental Engineering, University of Craiova, 200585 Craiova, Romania.
Alexandru StefartaDepartment of Dental Technology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Patricia-Mihaela RadulescuDepartment of Pneumology, University of Pharmacy and Medicine Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania.ORCID 0009-0003-3687-2468
Citto TaisescuDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2 Petru Rares Street, 200690 Craiova, Romania.

Funding

University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Preoperative risk stratification for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) remains imperfect, particularly in patients with chronic inflammatory remodeling and biliary anatomic variants. Existing tools often focus on acute presentations or intraoperative variables, resulting in uncertainty on how congenital anatomy, recurrent biliary colic, and cystic pediculitis interact. We synthesize a hypothesis-generating conceptual framework and propose an illustrative candidate preoperative rubric for future validation. We performed a structured narrative review of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (January 1990-December 2024; last search: 15 December 2024). Eligible primary studies evaluated clinical history, imaging-defined anatomy, inflammatory biomarkers, and/or operative outcomes (conversion, intraoperative complications, or operative difficulty) in the setting of LC. Acute cholecystitis and chronic/elective cohorts were interpreted separately during the narrative synthesis. Two reviewers screened titles/abstracts and assessed full texts using predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria; due to heterogeneity, no meta-analysis and no formal risk-of-bias tool were applied. The literature supports a plausible vicious cycle in which biliary anatomic variants may impair drainage and promote stasis, recurrent biliary colic, and chronic inflammation, ultimately leading to fibrosis/pediculitis and a "frozen" Calot's triangle. We translate these signals into an illustrative candidate rubric (0-16 points) spanning three domains: clinical history (0-6), imaging (0-6), and inflammatory biomarkers (0-4). Weights and cut-offs (low: 0-4; moderate: 5-9; high: 10-16) were chosen a priori for conceptual clarity and are not data-derived. This review provides a conceptual map and a candidate variable set to support hypothesis generation, standardized data collection, and staged validation. The rubric is not validated and must not be used for clinical decision-making. Planned next steps include feasibility-oriented derivation, followed by prospective multicenter external validation and impact assessment.

Indexed as

biliary anatomical variationbiliary colicchronic cholecystitisconceptual frameworkconversioncystic pediculitisfrozen Calot’s triangleinflammatory biomarkersintraoperative complicationslaparoscopic cholecystectomy

Identifiers

PMID42072826
PMCPMC13114567

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.