title: Quantitative cholescintigraphy and bile abnormalities in patients with acalculous biliary pain.
abstract: Acalculous biliary pain has been related to gallbladder dysfunction that produces a gallbladder emptying defect-a condition which favours the development of lithiasis. It is therefore probable that microlithiasis is present in patients with gallbladder dysfunction. The aims of this study were to measure gallbladder emptying and investigate bile abnormalities in patients with acalculous biliary pain. In 92 consecutive patients, gallbladder emptying was assessed by quantitative cholescintigraphy (abnormal ejection fraction < or =40%). In 64 patients, a microscopic study was performed on duodenal bile, defining abnormality as the presence of cholesterol crystals in any amount and/or calcium bilirubinate granules and/or microspheroliths at a rate of >10 per slide. The ejection fraction was abnormal in 45 patients (49%) (median 25.1%, range 6.8-39.3%) and normal in the remaining 47 cases (median 71.3%, range 41.0-96.1%). Bile was abnormal in 32 of 64 patients (50%), the most frequent finding being calcium bilirubinate granules. In the patients with bile abnormalities, abnormal ejection fraction was more frequent (20 of 32) and the median ejection fraction was lower (30.9%, range 12.0-94.1%) than in the patients with normal bile (16 of 32 with an abnormal ejection fraction; median ejection fraction 50.7%, range 6.8-96.1%). Abnormal bile was frequent (55.5%) in patients with reduced ejection fraction, but was not uncommon in patients with normal ejection fraction (33.3%). Fewer patients showed no alteration (25%). It is concluded that in most patients, acalculous biliary pain coexists with gallbladder dysfunction or abnormal bile, the combination of both alterations being common.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Unit (Service of Digestive Medicine), La Fe University Hospital, Avda. Campanar 21, 46009, Valencia, Spain. jponce@doymanet.es
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ponce
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sopena
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Garrigues
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ponce
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pertejo
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D042101:Acalculous Cholecystitis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D001646:Bile / Q000166:cytology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002766:Cholecystokinin; D002769:Cholelithiasis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D019785:Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D002766:Cholecystokinin; D019785:Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin