Sonography of gallbladder abnormalities in acromegaly patients following octreotide and ursodiol therapy: incidence and time course.
OBJECTIVE
We studied the effects of octreotide and ursodiol on the gallbladders of patients with acromegaly.


METHODS
We performed gallbladder sonography in patients with acromegaly at various intervals during treatment. Group I (18 patients) was treated with subcutaneous injections of the somatostatin analogue octreotide. Group II (10 patients) was treated with ursodiol while receiving octreotide therapy.


RESULTS
Seventy-eight percent of patients receiving octreotide developed gallbladder abnormalities: sludge in 72% (13/18) and calculi in 39% (7/18). Ursodiol reversed the gallbladder abnormalities in 7 of 10 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
A majority of patients receiving octreotide develop gallbladder abnormalities. Ursodiol appears to reverse the abnormalities in most cases.
Avila
N A
NA
Diagnostic Radiology Department, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1182, USA.
Shawker
T H
TH
Roach
P
P
Bradford
M H
MH
Skarulis
M C
MC
Eastman
R
R
D000172:Acromegaly / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006728:Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015282:Octreotide / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics; D006728:Hormones; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid; D015282:Octreotide