title: Sonographic analysis of gallbladder findings in Salmonella enteric fever.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze gallbladder sonographic findings associated with Salmonella typhi enteric fever. Sixty-two patients with culture positive Salmonella enteric fever were analyzed with serial sonography. The following gallbladder sonographic findings were noted: globular gallbladder distention (33 of 62 patients, 530%), positive sonographic Murphy sign (25 patients, 40%), pericholecystic edema or fluid (25 patients, 40%), gallbladder wall thickening > 4 mm (21 patients, 34%), low-level nonshadowing intraluminal echoes or sludge (nine patients, 15%), intramural linear sonolucency or striation (eight patients, 13%), and mucosal irregularity or sloughed membrane (four patients, 6%). Using the sonographic findings a gallbladder score was devised to assess the severity of gallbladder changes, and the score was correlated with the following clinical parameters--duration of fever, multidrug resistance, and clinical outcome. An abnormal gallbladder score was noted in 37 patients (60%), and multidrug resistance was noted in 35 of these patients (95%). The gallbladder scores showed a strong positive correlation with the duration of fever and the frequency of multidrug resistance. All 62 patients were treated with intensive antibiotic therapy without any deaths.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Broome
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012485:Salmonella typhi / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014435:Typhoid Fever / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014463:Ultrasonography