Contrast material and gallbladder kinetics: Implications for same day sonography after intravenous pyelography or CT scanning

Sonographic examination of the gallbladder has allowed us to study the effe cts of various substances on this organ. A prospective study involving 77 p atients was undertaken tb evaluate the effects of intravenous or oral contr ast agents on gallbladder volume changes in patients without known gallblad der disease. A mean volume after contraction of 24.8% was observed after ad ministration of intravenous contrast agent (P < 0.01) and of 31.9% after or al administration (P < 0.01). This phenomenon of contraction of the gallbla dder should therefore be recognized when sonographic or computed tomographi c evaluation of the gallbladder is undertaken imaging procedures that use r adiographic contrast agents either intravenously or orally.