[Volume of the functioning gallbladder and its emptying in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis].

UNLABELLED

The aim of the study was to measure the gallbladder volume (GV) and its emptying after meal stimulus in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). 18 women with PSS, aged 49.8 +/- 9.5 yr, participated in the study. Control values were obtained from 30 healthy women aged 26.5 +/- 3.5 yr. The duration of PSS symptoms ranged from 2 to 25 yr. Subjects with gallstones or cholecystitis as well those receiving drugs affecting the gastroduodenal motor function were excluded from the study. GV was measured according to Dodds et all (1985) with the real-time sonographic apparatus (Sonoline SL Siemens, Germany), after an overnight fast and after a test meal. Measurements were repeated in 10 min intervals through a 40 min duration of the study. Similar volumes of fasted gallbladder were found in the PSS group and in the control group: 25.4 cm3, SEM 3.0 (PSS), vs. 20.9 cm3, SEM 1.6 (control), p > 0.05. There was not any correlation between the fasted GV and duration of the disease symptoms. The test meal evoked in both groups a similar trend of the decrease in the GV during 40 min and the increase in the ejection fraction at this time. Although the changes observed were statistically not significant (p > 0.05) there were small differences in the gallbladder ejection fraction in two patients, not exceeding 14% and 18%, and being apparently below of any individual value in the control group.

CONCLUSION

the gallbladder motor function is very rarely disturbed in patients with PSS.