Intravenous cholegraphy and ultrasonography in examination of orally nonfilled gallbladders.

The efficacy of intravenous cholegraphy (IVC) and gray-scale ultrasonography (US) in detecting the presence or absence of gallstones was evaluated in 54 patients with orally nonfilled gallbladders. The IVC finding was diagnostic in 26 cases (48%), of which 19 were normal and 7 had gallstones. The respective figures by US were 48 (89%), 18 and 30. In 3 cases only IVC was diagnostic and in 25 cases only US. US was considered to be the method of choice for the secondary examination of an orally nonfilled gallbladder. IVC is justified as a secondary examination if US is not available and is indicated as the tertiary examination if US fails or if a clinical suspicion of gallbladder disease remains after a normal US finding.