The authors report on the prevalence of acute cholecystitis in the absence of calculi with special attention paid to the development of this disease as a complication of prolonged parenteral nutrition. In 1990-1993 at the Surgical Clinic in Plzen 125 cases of acute cholecystitis were operated, incl. 14 acalculous ones (11.2%). These 14 patients comprised 5 (28.6%) who were on parenteral nutrition for a prolonged period. The authors analyze the causes of the development of acute acalculous cholecystitis. They deal with the problem of diagnosis where in severe postoperative and posttraumatic cases ultrasonography proved useful.