ABSTRACT
Objective By using multi detector row spiral CT (MDCT) to investigate the CT imaging findings of gallbladder abnormalities caused by hepatic parenchymal diseases and those of inflammatory cholecystitis. Methods CT and clinical data of 80 patients with gallbladder abnormalities were retrospectively reviewed. Fifty patients were in hepatic disease group, including 20 chronic hepatitis, 25 liver cirrhosis, and 5 cirrhosis with hepatocellular carcinoma. Thirty patients were in inflammatory group, including 19 chronic cholecystitis, 6 acute cholecystitis, 3 cholecystitis with acute pancreatitis, 1 gangrenous cholecystitis, and 1 xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis. All patients underwent MDCT plain scan and contrast enhanced dual phase scanning of upper abdomen. Results In hepatic disease group, 48 cases had evenly thickened gallbladder wall (96%) with mean thickness of (3.67?0.49) mm; 38 cases had clear gallbladder outlines (76%); 38 cases had gallbladder wall enhancement of various degree (76%); 14 cases had gallbladder bed edema and localized non dependant pericholecystic fluid collection (28%). In inflammatory cholecystitis group, 28 cases had obscuring gallbladder outlines (93%) ; 26 cases had gallbladder wall evenly thickened (87%), 4 cases showed unevenly thicked wall (13%), the mean thickness being (4.54?1.14) mm; 30 cases had inhomogenous enhancement of the gallbladder wall (100%); 9 cases had high attenuation bile (30%); 4 cases had dependant pericholecystic fluid collection (13%); 5 cases had transient enhancement of adjacent hepatic bed in arterial phase (17%); micro abscess and gas in the gallbladder wall was observed in 1 case respectively. Conclusion MDCT can offer imaging findings useful for differentiating abnormal gallbladder changes caused by hepatic parenchymal diseases from those due to inflammatory cholecystitis.