The role of endoscopic ultrasonography in detection of gall bladder microlithiasis, sludge and stone in patients with biliary pain

Aim: To evaluate the role of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the diagnosis of gallbladder microlithiasis, sludge, and stone in patients with clinical suspicion of cholecystitis, but with normal transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) during six months follow-up after laparosopic cholecystectomy (LCT). Background: Endosonography has been shown to be highly sensitive in the detection of choledocholithiasis, especially in patients with small stones and nondilated bile ducts, and gallbladder microlithiasis. Patients and methods: A prospective study was performed on patients with biliary pain and normal transabdominal ultrasonography, for presence of microlithiasis, sludge, and stone in gallbladder at Arad hospital, Tehran, Iran from January 2004 to January 2007. EUS examination was performed with a mechanical radial scanning UM-20 echoendoscope (Olympus Optical, Tokyo, Japan). Patients in whom EUS demonstrated gallbladder sludge, microlithisis, and stone were offered laparoscopic cholecystectomy within one week. Results: A total of 245 patients (176 female and 69 male) were included in this study from January 2005 to January 2007. 88 out of 245 (36%) patients had gallbladder abnormalities which were diagnosed by EUS including: 43 gallbladder microlithiasis (48.3%), 23 gallbladder sludge (26%), 22 gallbladder stone (24.7%). Surgery performed for all these cases. Episodes of biliary pain during six months after LC reported in eight cases with gallbladder stone, but in no cases of microlithiasis or sludge. Conclusion: EUS seems to be a choice imaging method for detection of microlithiasis, sludge and stone of gallbladder in patients with biliary colic but normal transabdominal ultrasonography. In subjects with biliary pain and negative EUS, it is not reasonable to offer cholecystectomy.