Gallbladder motility in healthy volunteers: effects of age, gender, body mass index, and hair color.
OBJECTIVE
Ultrasonographic determination of gallbladder motility is sparsely performed in clinical practice as the examination is considered to be time consuming and there is uncertainty about a number of parameters possibly influencing the results. The aims of this study were a) to establish normal values for a simple ultrasonographic test and b) to evaluate the influence of different parameters on gallbladder motility.


METHODS
In 62 systematically age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers, ultrasonographic measurements of gallbladder volume (ellipsoid method, planimetry and sum-of-cylinders method) were performed fasting and 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and up to 75 min after stimulation with a standardized high-caloric liquid meal.


RESULTS
Using the ellipsoid method, gallbladder fasting volume (V0) reached a mean value (+/- SD) of 24.6 +/- 10.0 mL with an ejection fraction of 65.9 +/- 19.1%. Age, gender and hair color did not influence parameters of gallbladder contraction. Body mass index showed a weak correlation with V0 but not with ejection fraction. There was a highly significant correlation between the ellipsoid method and longitudinal planimetry and the sum-of-cylinders method, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Ultrasonographic measurement of gallbladder motility in healthy volunteers shows a very wide scattering of normal values. In the interpretation of gallbladder emptying, age, gender and body mass index do not have to be considered. Determination of gallbladder motility may be performed by a rather simple approach with oral stimulation and ellipsoid method or longitudinal planimetry as easily applicable ultrasonographic measurements.
Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Regensburg, Germany. guntram.lock@albertinen.de
Guntram
G
Lock
Martin
M
Kammerl
Klaus
K
Schlottmann
Nicole
N
Bregenzer
Axel
A
Holstege
Jürgen
J
Schölmerich
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D016473:Gallbladder Emptying / Q000502:physiology; D006200:Hair Color; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography