PARADOXICAL DILATATION OF THE GALLBLADDER AFTER FAT INGESTION IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE HEPATITIS

It is well known that patients with acute hepatitis can exhibit abnorm alities of the gallbladder. Findings that can be seen include gallblad der wall thickening and dysmotility.(1,2) When patients with acute hep atitis are imaged in the fasting state, many appear to have a relative ly small gallbladder lumen, suggesting that the gallbladder is partial ly contracted. When patients without hepatitis with a contracted gallb ladder are given a fatty meal, the gallbladder remains contracted. We report paradoxical dilatation of the contracted gallbladder in respons e to a fatty meal in patients with acute hepatitis.