title: Small-volume gallbladders and decreased motility in patients with achalasia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Achalasia may be associated with extraesophageal dysmotility. However, this relation is still poorly understood. In the present study, we used noninvasive real-time ultrasonography to examine the motility function of the gallbladder in the patients with achalasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three achalasic patients and 33 healthy volunteers were included in the study. All subjects were investigated after 12 hours of fasting and 30 minutes after a standard test meal. Premeal and postmeal gallbladder volumes were used for calculation of the ejection fraction of the gallbladder and fasting gallbladder volume.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean fasting volume (18.52+/-1.45 vs. 24.63+/-1.84 cm; P<0.05) and ejection fractions of gallbladder (35.84+/-4.12 vs. 54.47+/-2.47; P<0.05) in the patients with achalasia were lower than the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Such a finding may confirm the possible extraesophageal extension of primary achalasia. Achalasic patients have smaller gallbladders than do others. It could be speculated that it is congenital and/or achalasic patients' gallbladder has incomplete relaxation (as in the lower esophageal sphincter of the achalasia).
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Gazi University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. alagozster@gmail.com
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alagozlu
authors.forename: Selahattin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Unal
authors.forename: Tarkan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karakan
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cindoruk
authors.forename: Meltem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ergun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004931:Esophageal Achalasia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D016473:Gallbladder Emptying; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014463:Ultrasonography