Accuracy of surgeon-performed gallbladder ultrasound

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic cholelithiasis is among the most common of general surgery referrals. With an appropriate clinical presentation, definitive di agnosis requires documentation of gallstones by ultrasonography (US). The a uthors evaluated the accuracy of surgeon-performed US for identifying galls tones in patients with a nonacute indication for study. METHODS: Patients referred for symptomatic cholelithiasis and who provided informed consent received an US examination by one or more of the surgical investigators. Surgeon-performed US findings were correlated with radiologi st US findings and pathologic diagnoses. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients received a total of 128 examinations by the investigators. Surgeon-performed US examination agreed with the radiologis t US findings for 112 of 122 studies (92%) with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 95%. Surgeon-performed US findings correlated with the path ologic diagnoses for 83 of 86 studies (97%). CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons can perform gallbladder US in the nonacute setting wi th a high degree of accuracy. Am J Surg. 1999;178:475-479. (C) 1999 by Exce rpta Medica, Inc.