title: Sonography of the gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas in adults with cystic fibrosis.
abstract: Real-time sonography is an established method of evaluating the gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas. Adequate visualization with B-scan equipment has been a problem in adults with cystic fibrosis, a group with an increased incidence of gallbladder disease. We performed real-time ultrasonography on 23 adult patients with cystic fibrosis. The gallbladder was visualized in 22 (96%) and was found normal in 14 (61%). Abnormalities in the remainder included cholelithiasis (17%) and microgallbladder (30%). No dilatation of the biliary tree was demonstrated. The pancreas was well visualized in 18 (78%) and showed increased echogenicity in most. We conclude that real-time sonography of the abdomen reliably permits examination of the gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas in adult patients with cystic fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Victoria General Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Dobson
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Hennig
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001659:Biliary Tract / Q000473:pathology; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography