title: Gallbladder volume and emptying in insulin-requiring male diabetics.
abstract: Gallbladder function was evaluated in 27 healthy male volunteers and 47 male insulin-requiring diabetics from a diabetic clinic. Three groups of patients were studied: 18 patients without neuropathy or retinopathy (A); 17 patients with evidence of peripheral neuropathy (B); and 12 patients with evidence of peripheral and autonomic neuropathy (C). Eleven patients complained of gastrointestinal symptoms (three in group B, eight in group C). Thirty minutes after a standard breakfast, fasting gallbladder volumes and gallbladder emptying rates were measured using a real-time mechanical sector ultrasound scanner. Fasting gallbladder volume in diabetic patients was similar to controls (24.9 +/- 2.7 N; 28.9 +/- 3.9 A; 23.7 +/- 2.2 B; 16.7 +/- 3.4 C ml mean +/- SEM). Postprandial gallbladder emptying was not significantly different in any groups (47.4 +/- 5.1% N; 43.2 +/- 7.7% A; 50.7 +/- 7.7% B; 46.8 +/- 11.1% C). Seven diabetics and two controls had poor gallbladder emptying. One screened patient had cholecystectomy, three patients had stones, and two had sludge with a thickened gallbladder wall for a total of 12.5% gallbladder disease. These data suggest that gallbladder dysfunction in male insulin-requiring diabetics is rare.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keshavarzian
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dunne
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Iber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005215:Fasting; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010528:Peristalsis; D014463:Ultrasonography