No abstract available.
Gallstones* ; Lithotripsy* ; Ultrasonography*

Retrospective study on 194 dossiers of the patients with common bile duct stones, including 90 patients with calculi in the lower choledochus (posterior pancreas), 68 patients are examined in urgent situation and 126 patients non-urgent, 73 patients with history of abdominal surgery, 121 patients without history of abdominal surgery. All patients were diagnosed by sonography and have been operated at Viet Duc Hospital in 2 years of 1998-1999. The result shown that the sensitivity of sonography in diagnosing common bile duct stones is 95% and in diagnosing lower choledochus stones is 87.8%. Urgent or non-urgent ultrasonic examination have unconsidered influence to the sonographic value in diagnosing common bile duct stones with the sensitivity 92.6% and 97.6% respectively. The situation of abdominal surgery influences the sonographic value in diagnosing common bile ducts stones: The sensitivity is 91.8% to patients with abdominal surgery and is 91.8% to patients with abdominal surgery and is 98.3% to patients without abdominal surgery.
Ultrasonography ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones

The ultrasound for early, right local diagnosis helps convenient operation, improves the treatment quality and reduces the mortality rate. Study on 97 patients with operation for the gallbladder stone in the central army hospital No 108 from Jan. 1993 to June 1994 received an operation by Kontrol. The corrects of ultrasound before operation for the gallbladder stone, OMC stone, inner hepatic stone and biliary ascariasis are 95%; 97.94%; 87.63%-93.84%; 92.78%-94.85%, respectively. The ultrasound only has determined dilation of bile-duct. The diagnosis of narrow of bile-duct, especially inner hepatic bile-duct remainly are limited by ultrasound.
Ultrasonography ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones ; surgery

Ceftriaxone is known to induce a precipitation in the gallbladder that mimics gallstones on sonography in the children and adults. "Biliary pseudolithiasis" is now used to describe this reversible, benign complication accompanying ceftriaxone therapy. It is important to be aware of this adverse effect because it does not need any specific treatment. To our knowledge, there have not been any reports of CT findings of ceftriaxone-associated biliary pseudolithiasis in literature. We herein report two cases of ceftriaxone-associated biliary pseudolithiasis with sonographic and CT findings, which were completely resolved after the cessation of ceftriaxone therapy.
Adult ; Ceftriaxone ; Child ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether in vitro plain radiography and ultrasonography(US) could predict the outcome of gallstone dissolution with methyl tert-butyl ether(MTBE). METHODS AND MATERIALS: The plain radiography and ultrasonography of 75 gallstones removed at surgery from 75 patients were obtained. The plaih radiographic findings were grouped by their calcification pattern as group l:lucent, group 2:central, group 3:diffuse and group 4: laminated. The ultrasonographic findings were grouped by their echo pattern as group 1 :arc shaped, clearly defined surface echo followed by distinct acoustic shadow, group 2:strong surface echo with gradually attenuating, meniscus shaped inner echo, group 3:strong surface echo with fill-in pattern of internal echo, group 4:strong surface echo with irregular inner echo and group 5:entirely discerning circumsference, homogeneous internal echotexture. After imaging, the gallstones underwent MTBE dissolution for 6 hours. The residual weight of each stone was measured every 2 hours. The correlation between imaging findings and dissolution rate was retrospectively analysed. RESULTS: The radiolucent and central calcification stones were dissolved rapidly as compared with the diffuse and laminated calcification stones(p<.05). There was no statistically significant difference among the groups based on ultrasonographic findings alone. However, after exclusion of the certain calcification groups that were resistent to dissolution-diffuse or laminated calcification stones-all US groups except one that shows wholly circumscribed margin and homogeneous fill-in pattern of internal echo dissolved well to average 20% or less of the original weight(p<.05). CONCLUSION: MTBE dissolution can be tried in stones that meet both ultrasonographic (not a stone with homogeneous fill-in pattern of internal echo) and plain radiographic (radiolucent or cental calcification stone) criteria.
Acoustics ; Ether* ; Gallstones* ; Humans ; Radiography* ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography*

Twenty cases of polypoid lesions of the gallbladder were reviewed. Seven were benign lesions. Among them, there were 4 (20%) adenomas and 3 (15%) adenomatous hyperplasias. All of the benign lesions were less than 1 cm in diameter. Thirteen cases involved a carcinoma of the gallbladder, of which 92% were more than 1 cm in diameter, 76.9% were over 60 years of age, and 38.5% were associated with gallstones. The accuracy of the preoperative ultrasonographic diagnosis of the polypoid lesions of the gallbladder was 80%. The spread and the size of the tumor showed a close correlation. Therefore, the size of the tumor is a vital indicator for the treatment of polypoid lesions of the gallbladder; lesions between 0.6~1 cm in diameter should be followed up by ultrasonography. An operation may be considered if stones are present. Lesions bigger than 1 cm should be resected since malignancy can not be excluded.
Adenoma ; Diagnosis ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Gallbladder* ; Gallstones ; Hyperplasia ; Polyps ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the detectability of gallstones on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and to compare the accuracy between the single-shot turbo spin-echo (SSTSE) sequence and the three-dimensional turbo spin-echo (3DTSE) sequence with the sensitivity encoding (SENSE) technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 141 patients who had undergone MRCP for a year period since August, 2003 were involved in the study. The source axial-SSTSE, coronal-SSTSE, source coronal-3D TSE and maximum intensity projection (MIP)-3DTSE images were obtained. Based on the operative findings and the findings of the ultrasound and CT examinations, the results of the reading by two investigators for the presence of gallstones were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: Among 141 patients, 135 patients were included in the study. 69 cases (51%) were found to have gallstones. In terms of detection of gallstones, the accuracy was 85%. The reading by one investigator greatly accorded with that of the other investigator (κ=0.94). As a result of comparing the four kinds of images obtained with the different techniques, it was found that gallstones were seen best on the source axial-SSTSE and source coronal-3DTSE images; the coronal-SSTSE image was the next best image and the MIP-3DTSE image followed (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The detectability of gallstones on MRCP was relatively excellent and the source axial-SSTSE and source coronal-3DTSE imagings should be included for the detection of gallstones.
Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones* ; Humans ; Research Personnel ; Ultrasonography

Although the ultrasonography has been regarded as a main procedure in the diagnosis of gallbladder diseases, no many papers concerning the ultrasonographic findings of gallbladder empyema appeared in the literature. Twenty-four cases of surgically proven gallbladder empyema were studied by ultrasonography in our hospital during last 15 months. The results were as follows; 1. The size of gallbladder was enlarged in 18 cases. 2. The thicknessof gallbladder wall was more than 3mm in 16 cases. 3. The echogenicity of gallbladder wall was diminished in all cases. the inner margin of gallblaldder wall was also ill-defined in all cases. These findings are considered to be important in the diagnosis of gallbladder empyema. 4. The internal echogenicity of gallbladder (diffuse or localized) was positive in 16 cases and negative in the remainders. The echo genility was thought to beproportional to the amount of pus in gallbladder. 5. The 7 cases presented periocholecystic sonolucent area hadperforation of gallbladder and pericholecystic abscess. 6. Gallstone was found in 17 cases.
Abscess ; Cholecystitis ; Diagnosis ; Gallbladder Diseases ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones ; Suppuration ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: A prospective study to determine the role of compound imaging, speckle reduction imaging and tissue harmonic imaging techniques in high-resolution gallbladder ultrasound examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gallbladders in 39 patients were examined with conventional imaging, compound imaging, compound imaging combined with speckle reduction imaging, and compound imaging combined with harmonic imaging techniques, using 7- to 10-MHz linear array transducer. The overall image qualities, sharpness of the anterior wall, depiction of the wall layers, and degree of internal artifact were evaluated. In cases of a gallbladder lesion, its conspicuity, margin sharpness, and intensity of posterior shadowing were evaluated. Two radiologists independently evaluated each image and graded each finding with a four-part scale. The Wilcoxon signs rank test was used. RESULTS: Compound imaging technique provided better results than conventional imaging technique in all categories except the intensity of posterior shadowing of gallstone (p < 0.01). Compound imaging technique well depicted the gallbladder wall layers in 34 of 39 cases and depicted them better than conventional ultrasonography in 31 of 39 cases. Compound imaging also improved conspicuity and margin sharpness of the lesions. Combined use of compound imaging and speckle reduction imaging technique did not provide better results than compound imaging. Combined use of compound imaging and harmonic imaging provided better overall image quality and fewer internal artifacts than compound imaging (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compound imaging technique was superior to conventional imaging in evaluating gallbladder and its lesion with high frequency transducer. Combined use of compound imaging and harmonic imaging was helpful to enhance overall image quality and reduce artifacts.
Artifacts ; Gallbladder* ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Shadowing (Histology) ; Transducers ; Ultrasonography

Prediction f chemical composition of gallstones is a prerequisite in contemplating the chemical dissolution or extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy of gallstones. The author retrospectively analysed the correlation between quantitative chemical composition of gallstones and their ultrasonographic and computed tomographic findings. The ultrasonography(US) and computed tomography(CT) of 100 consecutive stones obtained from 100 patients were performed under the in vitro condition. Their US and CT fingings were grouped with certain patterns and each group was compared with the chemical composition of the stones. Stones with entirely discernible cirumsference and homogeneous internal echo on US had high bilirubin and low cholesterol content. Acoustic shadows were frequently absent with those stones. Stones with variable internal echo on US had relatively high cholesterol content but their distribution range were wide. There was no correlationship between the cholesterol content and the CT No. of the gallstones. There was positive correlationship between the calcium content and the CT No. of gallstones. The near totally calcified gallstones had very low cholesterol and high residue content. There was no relationship betweenthe calcification type and the ultrasonographic pattern. In conclusion, those stones with entirely discernible circumsference and homogeneous internal echo on US were pigment stones. On the contrary, stones with variable internal echo had relatively high cholesterol content. CT could predict the calcium content with CT No., but could not predict the cholesterol content.
Acoustics ; Bilirubin ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Gallstones* ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Lithotripsy ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock ; Ultrasonography*