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Cholecystography
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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Cholecystography is an X-ray examination of the gallbladder. The evening before the examination, the patient takes an iodine-containing hepatotropic drug orally. It is absorbed in the intestine, captured from the blood by liver cells and excreted with bile, but in a relatively small concentration. However, during the night, the drug concentrates in the gallbladder (the patient should not eat). In the morning, an X-ray examination is performed - overview images of the bladder area, which show its image.
A normal gallbladder is displayed on a cholecystogram as an elongated oval shadow tapering upwards with smooth, clear contours. When the subject is in a vertical position, the gallbladder is located to the right of the abdominal midline, approximately parallel to the spine. The size and shape of the bladder vary. The length of its shadow is on average 6-10 cm, and the largest diameter is 2-4 cm. The bladder shadow is uniform, gradually increasing in the caudal direction. Due to the development of sonography, the clinical significance of cholecystography has noticeably decreased. Currently, the main indication for this study is to determine the need for lithotripsy - crushing stones in the gallbladder with shock wave impulses.
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