Intravenous cholecystokinin octapeptide: its effect on the sonographic appearance of the file ducts in normal subjects.

The response of the common hepatic duct to an intravenous injection of sincalide (0.04 mcg/kg over 1 min) was assessed in 15 healthy volunteers. Ultrasound examinations performed at 5-minute intervals for 1 hour revealed a mean maximal decrease in gallbladder volume of 59%. The internal diameter of the duct was unchanged in 13 of 15 subjects, and decreased by 1 mm in the remaining 2 subjects. It is concluded that, in normal subjects, there is no significant change in the internal diameter of the common hepatic duct in response to an intravenous dose of sincalide sufficient to effect gallbladder contraction.