Ultrasonographic evidence of gallbladder wall thickening in association with hypoalbuminemia.
Retrospective evaluation of 125 consecutive gallbladder sonograms was done to determine the conditions under which a thickened gallbladder wall is identified. The population studied included a large number of chronic alcoholics. Forty-two patients (Group A) had thickened (greater than or equal to 3 mm) gallbladder walls, while 48 patients (Group B) had walls of normal thickness. Forty patients in Group A had markedly depressed serum albumin levles, significantly lower (p less than 0.001) than albumin levels in Group B. Ten patients in Group B had cholecystitis, compared to two in Group A. The authors conclude that a thick gallbladder wall can be seen in severe hypoalbuminemic states in the absence of acute or chronic cholecystitis.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000473:pathology; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000172:deficiency*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D012709:Serum Albumin