[Emphysematous cholecystitis: presentation of two clinical cases].

Emphysematous cholecystitis is relatively rare: in 1971 the cumulative total of cases reported in the world literature was 115. Two cases seen in the period 1967 to 1972 can be added. The features of these two cases, and those described in the literature support the view that emphysematous cholecystitis results from a primary obliterative endarteritis and a secondary proliferation of microorganisms.