Ultrasound in elective biliary tract surgery.

The background, technique and ultrasonic criteria used in the diagnosis of biliary tract disease are reviewed and illustrative case histories and sonograms presented. The results in 100 prospective patients undergoing both biliary tract ultrasound and orall cholecystography are presented with surgical follow-up in 53 patients. Ultrasound was technically adequate in 96% of the patients examined and was accurate in 51 of the 53 patients who came to surgery. The gray scale ultrasound examination was more accurate than oral cholecystography, especially in the subgroup of patients with nonvisualizing oral cholecystograms. The current role of elective biliary tract sonography is discussed and gray scale ultrasound is recommended as the initial screening test in all patients with suspected biliary tract disease.