Simultaneous ultrasonic monitoring of gallbladder emptying and gastric emptying after liquid test meal.

Gastric emptying and gallbladder emptying were measured simultaneously using simplified ultrasound (US) techniques after a liquid test meal in seven volunteers on two separate days. Sequential changes in cross-sectional areas of the gastric body and antrum and in gallbladder volume were represented as a monoexponential process after the test meal. There was a close correlation between the half emptying time (T1/2) of the stomach at the gastric body measured by US and that by simultaneous scintigraphic technique, but not between US at the antrum and scintigraphy. Gastric emptying measured at the gastric body was more reproducible than that at the gastric antrum. Sequential measurement of cross-sectional areas at the gastric body using ultrasound is simple and reliable for the assessment of gastric emptying after a liquid meal. US technique is promising for the evaluation of the relationship of gallbladder emptying to gastric emptying as a routine practice.