Ultrasound of the normal gallbladder
Last reviewed: 19.10.2021
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In longitudinal sections, the gallbladder looks like an echo-negative pear-shaped structure. The position, size and shape of its very variable, but the width of the normal gallbladder rarely exceeds 4 cm.
The gallbladder has a certain mobility. It can have an elongated shape and, when scanned, can be determined below the level of the anterior superior iliac crest (especially if the patient is standing). It can be defined to the left of the middle line. If the gallbladder is not detected in the normal position, examine the entire stomach from the right side.
The thickness of the gallbladder wall is measured on transverse sections; in patients who did not eat, the wall thickness does not exceed 3 mm or less, and with a tight filling of the gallbladder, the wall thickness is 1 mm.
If the gallbladder is not visualized in the normal position, examine the entire stomach and pelvic area. If necessary, repeat the test after 6-8 hours or ask a colleague to examine the patient.
The lack of visualization of the gallbladder with ultrasound examination does not mean that it does not exist.
It is not always easy to identify the normal right and left common hepatic duct, but if they are visualized in the liver, they look like thin-walled tubular structures. Nevertheless, usually the common bile duct can be visualized immediately anterior and lateral from the branching of the portal vein, and its cross-section at this level should not exceed 5 mm. The diameter of the common bile duct varies, but should not exceed 9 mm at the site of its entry into the head of the pancreas.