SCANNING OF POLYPOID GALLBLADDER LESIONS BY ULTRASONIC MICROPROBES USING TRANSPAPILLARY CATHETERIZATION

Background and Study Aims: Polypoid lesions of the gallbladder can be diagnosed by transabdominal ultrasonography and endoscopic ultrasonogr aphy. However, the image resolution is limited, and the histopathology of these lesions is difficult to determine, We report here on our pre liminary results in four patients using a high-freqency (20 MHz) ultra sonic microprobe introduced into the gallbladder via the transpapillar y approach, Patients and Methods: Insertion of the microprobe into the gallbladder through the papilla of Vater was attempted in four patien ts with gallbladder diseases without preceding endoscopic sphincteroto my. Results: The lesions in the gallbladder were clearly visualized in three of the four patients, We tried to correlate the characteristic ultrasound findings with the histopathology of the lesions, which were found to be early cancer, adenoma, and adenomyomatosis on histopathol ogy of the specimens after cholecystectomy, No complications occurred. Conclusions: High-resolution endoscopic transpapillary ultrasonograph y of the gallbladder is feasible and safe, and may contribute to the d iagnosis of gallbladder diseases, particularly of small polypoid lesio ns.