title: Contrast enhanced sonography of the gallbladder: a tool in the diagnosis of cholecystitis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate if contrast enhanced sonography (CES) can help to detect gallbladder inflammation and differentiate between acute and chronic cholecystitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with clinical suspicion of acute cholecystitis were examined with CES before cholecystectomy. Thirty patients with no history of gallbladder disease served as control. CES was performed using 2.5 mL SonoVue. A small mechanical index was chosen (0.1). The enhancement pattern of the gallbladder was ranked in a three-point scale: no enhancement, low enhancement and strong enhancement. 28/33 patients underwent surgery. Sonographic findings were compared to histological results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 16/20 cases with histological proven acute cholecystitis, the gallbladder wall showed a strong enhancement. Low enhancement was found in four patients with acute and in six patients with chronic cholecystitis. The gallbladder wall of two patients with chronic inflammation and all patients (30/30) of the control group showed no enhancement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CES is a feasible tool for detecting gallbladder inflammation. Differentiating between acute and chronic cholecystitis seems to be possible.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiology, University of Erlangen, Maximiliansplatz 1, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. boris.adamietz@idr.imed-uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Adamietz
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wenkel
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uder
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Ignaz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dimmler
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bautz
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Janka
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media