PREVALENCE OF GALLBLADDER SLUDGE IN DOGS AS ASSESSED BY ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Ultrasonography of the gallbladder was performed in 3 groups of dogs: 30 clinically healthy dogs, 50 dogs with hepatobiliary disease, and 50 dogs with diseases other thats hepatobiliary disease. The gallbladder was evaluated for the presence of sludge (echogenic material without acoustic shadowing), Maximal gallbladder length, width, height, and ar ea mere measured as well as the gallbladder wall thickness. The relati ve sludge area was calculated as the ratio of sludge area over gallbla dder area on longitudinal images. No significant difference was found in the prevalence of gallbladder sludge among healthy dogs (53%), dogs with hepatobiliary diseases (62%), and clogs with other diseases (48% ). The mean age of dogs with sludge was higher than the mean age of do gs without sludge in dogs with hepatobiliary disease and dogs with oth er diseases (p < 0.05). The mean relative sludge area did not differ s ignificantly among the 3 groups. A trend to larger gallbladder dimensi ons in dogs with sludge compared to dogs without sludge was detected w ithin the 3 groups. The gallbladder wall thickness was not different b etween dogs with and without sludge within the 3 groups, However, the gallbladder wall was more frequently isoechoic than hyperechoic to the liver in dogs with sludge than in dogs without sludge. The results of this study indicate that gallbladder sludge, in dogs, is not particul arly associated with hepatobiliary disease and should he considered an incidental finding.