Ultrasound Demonstration of Gallbladder Wall Thickening as a Method to Differentiate Cirrhotic Ascites from Other Ascites

Abstract

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Gallbladder wall thickness was measured by ultrasound in 16 patients with ascites caused by liver cirrhosis and in 16 noncirrhotic patients with ascites. This study was performed to evaluate if gallbladder wall thickening could differentiate cirrhotic ascites from ascites due to other causes. METHODS Gallbladder thickness was measured by duplex ultrasound in 16 cirrhotic patients with ascites and in 16 non-cirrhotic patients with ascites. Measurements of portal vein flow and serum albumin also were performed. RESULTS Gallbladder wall thickness was 0.76 ± 0.21 cm in cirrhotic patients and 0.24 ± 0.09 in noncirrhotic patients (P < 0.001, Student's t test for unpaired data). Gallbladder wall thickening was significantly more frequent in patients with cirrhotic ascites than in patients with noncirrhotic ascites (P < 0.001, chi-square test). CONCLUSIONS The authors feel that the ultrasound finding of gallbladder wall thickening in patients with ascites is highly predictive of liver cirrhosis diagnosis.