Gallbladder Disorders Detected by Ultrasound

Abstract

Patients who have disease of the biliary tract commonly present with acute right upper quadrant pain, nausea or vomiting, mid-epigastric pain, and/or jaundice. Etiologies include inflammation with or without infection, noninflammatory disorders, and benign or malignant neoplasms of the gallbladder or bile ducts. Ultrasound (US) is now accepted as the initial imaging modality of choice for the work-up of suspected biliary tract disease. A retrospective study was carried out at King Abdulaziz University Hospital to discuss the protocol of ultrasound scanning in demonstrating incidence and complication of Gall-bladder (GB) pathologies. Known cases of GB pathologies (100 patients) were surveyed by ultrasound using spatial digital iU22 Philips Convex probe 3.5 MHz. All patients were evaluated with ultrasonogphy following the international scanning guidelines and protocols. The age of the patients is between (9 - 90) years, 68 Patients (68%) were females and 32 patients (32%) were males. Range of age group of accumulation for gallstone presence was (35 - 50) years in females and above 50 years in males. Incidence of gallbladder pathologies are 59% (female 46% and 13% male). Incidence of gallstone is 37%, and ratio of incidence is between male to female 1:3. Other pathologies of gallbladder were found to be acute cholecystities 12%, chronic cholocystities 5%, sludge 2%, carcinoma of the Gall-bladder 1%, Gall-bladder polyps 1% and Emphysematous choleycystities 1%. Ultransonography is a single imaging modality sufficient for evaluation of patient with suspected gallbladder pathologies (gallstone) which can provide information about the presence of gallstone and more over about site and cause of biliary tract obstruction. Ultrasound is highly sensitive and specific means for diagnosis of the gallbladder disorders.