Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of analyzing the pattern of gallbladder wall enhancement on MDCT to identify the different causes of acute cholecystitis. Methods In January 2009 to December 2012， 169 patients diagnosed with acute cholecystitis caused by various pathologic conditions were performed MDCT scans， the images of portal venous phase and clinical data were retrospectively reviewed by two blinded radiologists. There were 146 cases in non-hepatopathy cholecystitis group and 23 cases in hepatopathy cholecystitis group. The other 5 normal gallbladder cases diagnosed by MDCT scans were retrospectively reviewed as contrast group. Using five patterns according to the enhancement pattern of flat gallbladder wall thickening on MDCT. The study cases were then divided into five patterns and the thickness of the mucous membrane were measured. The occurrence rate of each pattern and the thickness of the mucous membrane between the groups were compared respectively. Results In the non-hepatopathy cholecystitis group， there were typeⅡin 102 cases （69.9%）， typeⅢin 5 cases （3.4%）， typeⅣ in 30 cases （20.5%）， and typeⅤ in 9 cases （6.2%）. In the hepatopathy cholecystitis group， there were typeⅡin 2 cases （8.7%）， typeⅢ in 11 cases （47.9%）， typeⅣin 5 cases （21.7%）， and typeⅤin 5 cases （21.7%）. The occurrence rate of typeⅡin the non-hepatopathy cholecystitis group was significialtly higher than that in the hepatopathy cholecystitis group （P＜0.005）. The occurrence rate of typeⅢ and typeⅤ in the hepatopathy cholecystitis group were significialtly higher than those in the non-hepatopathy cholecystitis group（P＜0.005， P＜0.05）. The occurrence rate of type Ⅳ between the two groups had no significant difference （P＞0.05）. TypeⅠonly present in the contrast group. The non-hepatopathy group’s mean mucous membrane thickness was （2.61±1.30） mm ， which was thicker than the hepatopathy group’s （2.02±0.52） mm（t=2.22， P＜0.05）. Conclusion Analyzing the enhancement pattern of a thickened gallbladder wall on MDCT is helpful in identifying the causes of acute cholecystitis， and the gallbladder perforation or not.