Small-volume gallbladders and decreased motility in patients with achalasia.
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).
Alagozlu
Hakan
H
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Gazi University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. alagozster@gmail.com
Unal
Selahattin
S
Karakan
Tarkan
T
Cindoruk
Mehmet
M
Ergun
Meltem
M
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