Biliary motor function in gallstone patients evaluated by fatty-meal MR cholangiography

PURPOSE: To investigate the possibility of evaluating biliary motor function with magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with gallstones and 30 control subjects were studied using fatty-meal MRC. After baseline MRC, they were encouraged to drink 250 mL of milk and underwent postprandial MRC every 10 minutes for 60 minutes. Postprandial changes in gallbladder volume and the diameter of the common duct were assessed as indicators of gallbladder contractility and biliary obstruction, respectively. Postprandial dilatation at 60 minutes was considered indicative of persistent biliary obstruction. RESULTS: Gallbladder ejection fraction was calculated at 66.0% +/- 12.2% (range, 40.3%-88.6%) in the controls. Gallbladder volume expressed as a percentage of the baseline value was significantly larger at 20-60 minutes in the gallstone patients than in the controls. Gallbladder ejection fraction varied widely (mean, 46.4% +/- 24.4%; range, 2.8%-81.5%) and was significantly reduced in comparison with that of the controls (P < 0.01). In two gallstone patients with co-existing ductal stones, transient postprandial dilatation associated with ampullary impaction was observed. Persistent biliary obstruction was not indicated in any subjects. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest the feasibility of fatty-meal MRC, as well as its potential for evaluating biliary motor function.     

胆囊颈部结石超声诊断影像学分析

目的探讨超声在胆囊颈部结石诊断中的应用价值。 方法对我院2011年至2019年彩超诊断为胆囊颈部结石的201例患者的超声声像图特征进行回顾性分析。所有患者均在我院普外科接受保胆取石手术时得以证实。 结果201例胆囊颈部结石中有96例出现胆囊体积增大并积液,占47%;176例出现胆囊壁增厚,占87%;47例出现胆泥团,占23%;35例出现胆囊缩小,占17%;145例出现胆绞痛发作史,占72%。 结论在胆囊颈部结石的诊断中,当超声检查出现以下几点应高度提示胆囊颈部结石的可能性：（1）胆囊体积增大合并积液;（2）胆囊壁明显增厚,胆汁暗区呈云雾状改变;（3）胆囊腔内有多个胆泥团;（4）胆囊缩小,胆囊内仅见极少许胆汁;（5）有反复发作的胆绞痛病史。要重点观察胆囊颈部情况,以提高胆囊颈部结石的检出率,减少漏诊。     

Contracted gallbladder: a cause of false-positive hepatobiliary scan in patients with cystic fibrosis

Gallbladder nonvisualization on hepatobiliary scintigraphy in cystic fibrosis is generally secondary to cystic duct obstruction from inspissated bile, mucus, or gallstones. We report gallbladder nonvisualization on hepatobiliary imaging in two patients with cystic fibrosis who had contracted gallbladders on ultrasonography. Repeat ultrasonography at 6 months revealed persistent gallbladder contraction. A contracted gallbladder therefore is a potential cause of a false-positive hepatobiliary scan which can be treated with conservative management.     

99Tcm-EHIDA肝胆动态显像判断肝硬化患者胆囊运动功能

目的研究^99Tc^m-二乙基乙酰苯胺亚氨二醋酸（EHIDA）肝胆动态显像在判断肝硬化患者胆囊运动功能中的作用.方法研究对象分为正常对照组和肝硬化组,其中肝硬化组分为胆石组和非胆石组.受试者均行^99Tc^m-EHIDA肝胆动态显像.获得图像后应用胆囊感兴趣区（ROI）技术,由计算机自动绘制胆囊时间-放射性曲线,并计算潜伏期（LP）、排胆期（EP）、排胆分数（GBEF）和排胆率（ER）.结果肝硬化组患者GBEF和ER明显低于正常对照组（t值均为2.767,P均＜0.01）,但其LP高于正常对照组（Z=-1.989,P＜0.05）.肝硬化胆石组胆囊运动异常率（x^2=4.538,P=0.033）、胆囊壁厚度（t=-2.386,P=0.02）和血清总胆汁酸（t=-2.442,P=0.018）明显高于非胆石组.结论肝硬化患者胆囊运动功能减弱.^99Tc^m-EHIDA肝胆动态显像可作为检查胆囊运动功能的一种无创、准确的方法.     

Gallbladder contractility in patients with spinal cord injuries: a sonographic investigation

Approximately 30% of all patients who have spinal cord injuries have gastrointestinal symptoms. One cause is gallstone disease; indeed the literature suggests that gallstones are more common in patients with spinal cord injuries because these patients have impaired contractility of the gallbladder with a reduced ejection fraction. To test this hypothesis, we obtained gallbladder sonograms in 30 patients with spinal cord injuries (16 quadriplegics and 14 paraplegics) and in 32 uninjured age-matched control subjects. Four patients and four asymptomatic control subjects had gallstones and were excluded. The remaining 26 patients and 28 control subjects fasted for 12 hr. Longitudinal and transverse sonograms of the gallbladder were made immediately before the ingestion of 25 g of fat, and at 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60 min thereafter. Gallbladder volumes were measured by using the ellipsoid method. Resting and residual volumes and the emptying times were determined and the ejection fractions were calculated. The ejection fractions were significantly lower (p = .003) in the patients than in the control subjects because the resting volumes were lower than in the control subjects (p = .013). However, the emptying times and residual volumes were the same in the two groups. We conclude that gallbladder contractility is normal in patients with spinal cord injuries and that the lower ejection fraction found in such patients is due to a smaller resting volume.     

Effect of sequential administration of an opioid and cholecystokinin on gallbladder ejection fraction: brief communication.

This study was undertaken to test the effect of sequential administration of an opioid and intravenous cholecystokinin (CCK) on gallbladder ejection fraction. METHODS: Forty-nine patients who had received an opioid underwent quantitative cholescintigraphy with octapeptide of CCK (CCK-8). Gallbladder ejection fraction and CCK-8-induced paradoxical filling were calculated. RESULTS: In the basal state, more of the hepatic bile entered the gallbladder (67%) than the small intestine (33%). After CCK-8 infusion, gallbladder ejection fraction was low in 37 (76%) of 49 patients and normal in 12 (24%). All 5 types of opioids lowered ejection fraction. CCK-induced paradoxical filling of the gallbladder was noted in 7 patients, but only one showed paradoxical filling of greater than 20% and none had a normal gallbladder ejection fraction. The lowering effect of opioids on gallbladder ejection fraction may last as long as 18 h after intake. CONCLUSION: CCK-8 produced a normal gallbladder ejection fraction in 24% of patients who had received an opioid and thus could exclude both acute and chronic cholecystitis during a single hepatobiliary study.     

头孢曲松钠致成人假性胆结石影像表现与临床分析

目的探讨头孢曲松钠致成人假性胆结石的影像学表现及机制、特点。方法回顾性分析32例头孢曲松钠致假性胆结石成人患者临床及影像学资料,结合文献总结此种结石的致病因素、发生机制及特点;入院常规影像学检查32例患者胆囊均无结石征象,治疗期间通过超声检查和/或CT检查确定出现结石,结合用药史做出初步诊断,复查均通过超声检查随访证实。结果32例头孢曲松钠滴注患者中18例于用药后2~7天出现不同程度上腹疼、恶心、呕吐、纳差症状而行影像学检查发现胆囊结石,14例无症状者住院期间例行影像学复查发现胆囊结石。结石多为小颗粒状或泥沙样,CT表现为胆囊低垂部位高密度影,短期复查变化较大;超声检查表现为胆囊内大小不等强回声光团,或疏松泥沙样结石影,后伴较弱声影,且随体位改变形态。停用头孢曲松钠后未经特殊治疗7~30天内影像学检查结石影自行消失。结论头孢曲松钠致成人胆囊假性结石时有发生,了解其发病机制及特点有助于正确诊断。     

Detection, localization, and quantitation of degree of common bile duct obstruction by scintigraphy

The detection, localization, and quantitation of the degree of obstruction was successfully accomplished by [99mTc]IDA scintigraphy in 13 of 14 patients with cholangiographically documented common bile duct (CBD) obstruction. Ductal dilatation was present on ultrasound examination in only seven patients. The accuracy of biliary scintigraphy was enhanced by several innovations including: (a) selection of a radiopharmaceutical with rapid hepatic uptake and excretion; (b) shorter imaging interval over longer period of time; (c) substitution of image parameter for appearance time; and (d) quantitative measurement of bile emptying parameters following cholecystokinin infusion. Scintigraphically, the partial obstruction was characterized by CBD segmental narrowing or intraluminal filling defects and bile stasis within the area and segmental ducts. The gallbladder mean (+/- s.d.) ejection fraction of 20.0 +/- 17.5%, ejection period of 6.8 +/- 1.6 min, and ejection rate of 3.1 +/- 2.6% per min following 3-min infusion of 10 ng/kg of cholecystokinin octapeptide were reduced significantly when compared to control subjects. The level of CBD obstruction correlated well with the results of cholangiography. It is concluded that quantitative biliary dynamic scintigraphy employing modern techniques can accurately detect and localize CBD obstruction.     

Gallbladder dynamics induced by a fatty meal in normal subjects and patients with gallstones: concise communication

A study was undertaken to establish the pattern of gallbladder emptying in normal subjects and in patients with gallstones, using a fatty meal as stimulus to release endogenous cholecystokinin. The time from meal ingestion to beginning of gallbladder emptying (latent period), the total duration of emptying (ejection period), degree of emptying (ejection fraction), and the rate of emptying (ejection fraction/ejection period) were measured noninvasively by a nongeometric scintigraphic technique. The mean latent period and ejection rate were similar in normal subjects and patients with gallstones, but the mean ejection period and ejection fraction were significantly reduced in the patients. This study suggests that for an identical stimulus, the gallbladder in cholelithiasis begins to empty at the normal time but empties for a shorter duration; the result is a reduction of ejection fraction but not of ejection rate.     

Altered gallbladder contractility after extracorporeal shock-wave cholecystolithotripsy

Change in gallbladder contractility after biliary extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) may significantly influence the clearance of fragments after successful gallstone fragmentation. We assessed changes in gallbladder contractility in response to an oral fatty meal in 50 patients 1 month after biliary ESWL (all fragments were smaller than 3 mm) and also in a separate group of 10 patients 3 months after complete clearance of fragments. The prevalence of persistent lumen-obliterating contraction of the gallbladder after biliary ESWL also was analyzed in 325 patients. Gallbladder contractility remained unchanged in 30, increased in nine, and decreased in 11 of the 50 patients. The average reduction in the fasting gallbladder volume after lithotripsy was 28% (p less than .001). Gallbladder contractility remained unchanged 3 months after complete clearance of fragments in six of 10 patients studied separately. A decrease (n = 2) or increase (n = 2) in contractility was seen in the remaining patients. No significant difference occurred in the average ejection fraction of the gallbladder before lithotripsy and after complete clearance of the fragments. Thirty-four of the 325 patients who have so far undergone biliary ESWL had a completely contracted gallbladder with no lumen visible on sonography. The gallbladder returned to a relaxed state in half of these patients within 1-9 months. Thus, biliary ESWL did not significantly alter gallbladder contractility in 60% of patients. A significant reduction in the volume of the fasting gallbladder occurred after lithotripsy. Successful clearance of fragments did not improve the contractility of stonebearing gallbladders in the majority of patients.     

Comparison of gallbladder ejection fraction with histopathologic changes in acalculous biliary disease.

This selective retrospective study was undertaken to establish whether the gallbladder contraction (ejection fraction) calculated during cholescintigraphy correlates with the histopathologic changes in the surgical specimen. The medical records of 243 patients who underwent hepatobiliary scintigraphy were reviewed. Of these, 215 patients had cholecystokinin cholescintigraphy and 100 went on to cholecystectomy. The original histologic slides from 67 gallbladders were available and reviewed by a pathologist who graded each specimen based on presence and severity of changes associated with "chronic" cholecystitis. There was no significant correlation between the severity of histopathologic change and cholecystokinin-induced gallbladder emptying.     

Echographic study of gallbladder contraction: normal and pathologic aspects. Apropos of 115 patients

The gallbladder volume was measured on abdominal ultrasonography in 115 patients consisting of three population groups, before and after ingestion of a fatty meal and/or intravenous administration of cholecystokinin. The variation in volume, estimated as a percentage, was used to assess gallbladder contraction. The first group, consisting of 40 normal individuals without gallstones or impaired gallbladder or hepatic function, can be considered to constitute a control group. In this population, gallbladder contraction exceeded 50% in every case. The second group consisted of 40 cases of acute cholecystitis, including 30 cases with acute gallstones and 10 cases of stone-free acute cholecystitis proven surgically (7 cases) or by guided aspiration (3 cases). Gallbladder contraction was less than 15% in every case. Lastly, a third group of 35 patients with uncomplicated gallstones discovered on routine ultrasonography, demonstrated gallbladder contraction of between 10 and 85%. In this last group, 12 patients with vague gastrointestinal symptoms and gallbladder contraction less than 15% were operated: the histological results demonstrated severe lesions of chronic gallstone cholecystitis. The authors believe that absent or weak gallbladder contraction after endogenous stimulation is a supplementary sign to be taken into consideration in a context suggestive of the diagnosis of acute stone-free cholecystitis and to suggest, in the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms not directly related to the gallbladder, the hypothesis of chronic gallstone cholecystitis.     

A sign of symptomatic chronic cholecystitis on biliary scintigraphy

Five hundred patients with acute right-upper-quadrant pain underwent biliary scintigraphy with 99mTc paraisopropyliminodiacetic acid. One hundred and thirty-four studies were reported normal (both gallbladder and activity in bowel are noted in 1 hr). Of the 134 studies reported as normal, 32 showed intestinal activity before gallbladder visualization during the first hour of the study. Sonography and/or oral cholecystography revealed that 24 patients had gallstones, and eight patients had no demonstrable pathology in the biliary system. Of the 134 studies, 102 showed visualization of the gallbladder before intestinal activity during the first hour of the study. Sonography and/or oral cholecystography showed that 73 patients had normal biliary system. The remaining 29 patients had gallstones. The overall sensitivity of this finding is 45%, the specificity is 90%, and the accuracy is 73%. In this group of symptomatic patients, the appearance of intestinal activity before gallbladder activity on biliary scintigraphy warrants further evaluation of these patients by sonography and/or oral cholecystography.     

Cholelithiasis demonstrated on hepatobiliary scintigraphy as a photopenic defect within the inferior portion of the liver

A 47-year-old man presented with the clinical findings of acute cholecystitis. During hepatobiliary scintigraphy using Tc-99m DISIDA, a persistent photopenic defect was noted within the inferior portion of the liver in the region of the gallbladder. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed large gallstones with acoustic shadowing within a normal-sized gallbladder. Eleven large gallstones were found within a normal-sized intrahepatic gallbladder at surgery.     

Corn oil emulsion: a simple cholecystagogue for diagnosis of chronic acalculous cholecystitis.

This study investigated the use of a corn oil emulsion as an inexpensive alternative to sincalide in the scintigraphic diagnosis of chronic acalculous cholecystitis (CAC). METHODS: Thirty patients with abdominal or right upper quadrant pain underwent (99m)Tc-disofenin hepatobiliary imaging for 60 min. After gallbladder filling, 30 mL of corn oil emulsion were administered orally to all patients followed by dynamic imaging for an additional 60 min in all patients and for 90 min in 26 patients. Gallbladder emptying kinetics were determined with gallbladder ejection fractions calculated at 30, 60, and 90 min. The results were compared with histopathologic or clinical follow-up data. RESULTS: Corn oil emulsion was found to be palatable and free of side effects in all patients. Seven of the 30 patients had histopathologic evidence of CAC, whereas the remaining 23 did not have evidence of gallbladder disease based on clinical follow-up. The 30-, 60-, and 90-min gallbladder ejection fractions were determined to be 25% +/- 22% (mean +/- SD), 47% +/- 28%, and 62% +/- 29%, respectively. Receiver-operating-characteristic analysis showed that the 60-min gallbladder ejection fraction best distinguished between CAC and non-gallbladder disease with an area under the curve of 0.963. A 60-min gallbladder ejection fraction of < or = 20% had 100% sensitivity, 96% specificity, 88% positive predictive value, 100% negative predictive value, and 97% overall accuracy for the diagnosis of CAC. CONCLUSION: Standardized corn oil emulsion appears to be an adequate and well-tolerated gallbladder stimulant. Based on receiver-operating-characteristic analysis, a 60-min gallbladder ejection fraction of < or = 20% using this simple cholecystagogue results in high diagnostic accuracy for CAC.     

胆囊胆汁成分对胆固醇息肉和结石形成的影响

 为探讨胆囊胆汁成分与胆固醇息肉和结石形成的关系,测定了12例胆固醇结石、8例胆固醇息肉和7例非肝胆疾病患者的胆囊胆汁成分.结果显示息肉组和结石组胆固醇浓度均较正常组明显升高,结石组糖蛋白及钙离子浓度明显高于息肉组和正常组,息肉组与正常组pH值接近,均明显低于结石组.提示胆囊胆汁中胆固醇浓度升高是胆固醇息肉和结石形成的病理基础.     

The effect of age and sex on gallbladder motor dynamics. An echographic study

Aging and female sex are major risk factors for cholesterol gallstones: in addition to hepatic secretion of lithogenic bile, decreased gallbladder contractility may play a role in such physiological conditions. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of age and sex on gallbladder kinetics in healthy subjects. Gallbladder volume was measured on the US images of 157 fasting subjects using the sum-of-cylinders method. No significant difference was observed between males and females. On the contrary, age was shown to have a significant positive correlation with fasting gallbladder volume, particularly in males. In a second group of 63 healthy volunteers gallbladder volumes were evaluated both before and after a standard meal. The subjects were grouped according to age, and fasting gallbladder volume appeared to be significantly greater in the groups formed by older people. Gallbladder volumes were compared in younger groups (under 35), and gallbladder emptying resulted to be much more complete in males than in females. On the contrary, no significant difference was observed between males and females over 50--which suggests a possible role of sex- and age-related hormonal factors. The above changes in gallbladder function may facilitate bile stasis which might in turn contribute to the increased risk for cholesterol gallstones notoriously associated with advanced age and female sex.     

Gallbladder and bile duct abnormalities in AIDS: sonographic findings in eight patients

Gallbladder and biliary tract abnormalities were observed on sonography in eight patients with AIDS. The studies were obtained to evaluate right upper quadrant pain (two patients), tenderness (three patients), and abnormal liver function tests (eight patients). The two major sonographic findings were gallbladder wall thickening (eight patients), which often was marked, and bile duct dilatation (two patients). Gallbladder wall thickness varied from 4 to 15 mm and was greater than 1 cm in four patients. Follow-up sonograms in five patients showed increasing wall thickness in four and decreasing thickness in one, but these findings did not correlate well with the clinical status of the patient. Pericholecystic fluid was shown in three cases. None of the patients had gallstones. Common bile duct dilatation varied from 12 to 15 mm; no specific cause for dilatation was found by cholangiography. Mycobacterium avium intracellulare was recovered from the gallbladder in one patient, and Cryptosporidium was recovered from the duodenum in two patients. AIDS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of gallbladder wall thickening or bile duct dilatation in the appropriate clinical setting. These findings may indicate opportunistic infection of the biliary tract. A disparity may exist between the mild symptoms and signs (or lack of symptoms and signs) related to the gallbladder and bile ducts and the sometimes marked sonographic abnormalities.     

Cholecystokinin cholescintigraphy: detection of abnormal gallbladder motor function in patients with chronic acalculous gallbladder disease

CCK cholescintigrams were performed in 374 patients with recurrent postprandial right upper quadrant pain, biliary colic, and a normal gallbladder sonogram and/or cholecystogram. The results of these examinations were correlated with the patients' final medical/surgical diagnoses. Twenty-seven patients recruited as control volunteers without objective clinical evidence of biliary disease also underwent CCK cholescintigraphy to determine if the degree of gallbladder contraction post-CCK differs in symptomatic versus asymptomatic subjects. Decreased gallbladder motor function was identified (maximal gallbladder ejection fraction response to CCK less than 35%) in 94% of patients with histopathologically confirmed chronic acalculous cholecystitis or the cystic duct syndrome and in 88% of patients clinically believed to have chronic acalculous biliary disease. Decreased gallbladder motor function does not distinguish symptomatic from asymptomatic gallbladder disease.     

Cholecystosonographic evaluation of the prevalence of gallbladder diseases a university hospital experience

Ninety-five healthy volunteers and 515 patients with problems other than those of the biliary tract were examined using real-time, gray-scale, B-mode ultrasonography. Eighty-two patients (13.44%) were found to have asymptomatic gallbladder disease: 68 (11.14%) had cholelithiasis, 5 (0.81%) had acalculus cholecystitis, and 2 (0.32%) had polyps. Three cases of carcinoma of the gallbladder were also detected, suggesting that ultrasound examination of the highrisk population in an endemic area should not be confined to the disease concerned but that the gallbladder of such patients should also be screened to pick up asymptomatic gallbladder disease. Hence ultrasound can be used as a screening modality for the early detection of carcinoma of the gallbladder.