title: Sonographic measurements of normal gallbladder sizes in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our goal was to establish the range of sonographic measurements of normal gallbladders in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six hundred ten children aged 0-16 years (male:female ratio, 1.5:1) with normal clinical and laboratory findings were included in this study. The sonographic parameters were the length, width, and calculated volume of the gallbladder, and the clinical parameters were the age, height, weight, and body surface area of the children. Statistical significance was determined through correlation and regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The length of the gallbladder showed significant positive correlations with age (r = 0.65), height (r = 0.67), weight (r = 0.63), and body surface area (r = 0.65; p < 0.01). The calculated volume of the gallbladder also showed moderate correlations with age (r = 0.53), height (r = 0.55), weight (r = 0.61), and body surface area (r = 0.57; p < 0.01). The gallbladder width showed modest but significant correlations with age (r = 0.48), height (r = 0.53), weight (r = 0.53), and body surface area (r = 0.55; p < 0.01). The highest correlation coefficients were found between the gallbladder length and subject age (r = 0.65; p < 0.01) and between the gallbladder length and subject height (r = 0.67; p < 0.01). For all correlations, statistical significance remained after regression analysis (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Values for the size of the normal pediatric gallbladder are defined and will be helpful in the diagnosis of gallbladder abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Dongdae-Mun Hospital, Ewha Womans University, 70 Chongro 6-ga, Chongro-gu, Seoul 110-126, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Hyun-Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Myung-Jun
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jeong-Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Chung-Sik
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Rhee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D014463:Ultrasonography