The ultrasonically guided puncture of the gallbladder in amimals. A new methodological procedure for a simple and non-surgical collection of gallbladder bile.

In 4 piglets the gallbladder was punctured under sonographic control threetimes during a period of 46 days. Each puncture was proved by X-ray controls after application of 2-4 ml of a water soluble contrast medium. One day after the third puncture all animals were killed in order to look for macroscopic or microscopic lesions of the gallbladder, the adjacent liver tissue and the peritoneum resulting from the experimental procedure. The results indicate that the ultrasonically guided puncture of the gallbladder represents a procedure to obtain pure bile samples in the piglet or animals of similar size in a simple and non surgical and, therefore, most physiological manner.