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Cholecystitis is inflammation of the gall bladder. It is commonly due to impaction (sticking) of a gallstone within the neck of the gall bladder, leading to inspissation of bile, bile stasis, and infection by gut organisms. Cholecystitis may be a cause of right upper quadrant pain. The pain may actually manifest in the right flank or scapular region at first. In severe cases, the gall bladder can rupture and form an abscess or it may lead to a life-threatening infection of the liver called ascending cholangitis. In other cases, it may lead to a stable inflammatory state termed chronic cholecystitis.