title: [Echographic study of gallbladder contraction: normal and pathologic aspects. Apropos of 115 patients].
abstract: 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.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Legmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levesque
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pommez-Boudinet
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Guichard
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D014463:Ultrasonography
vernacular_title: Etude échographique de la contraction vésiculaire: aspects normal et pathologique. A propos de 115 patients.