In Utero Development of the Fetal Gall Bladder in the Korean Population

OBJECTIVE: To provide reference ranges of the fetal gall bladder in the Korean population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fetal gall bladder development was evaluated in well-dated, non-anomalous fetuses in the Korean population between February and April 2003 and the visualization rate and reference values were determined from the obtained data. RESULTS: The visualization rate of the fetal gall bladder increased as gestation advanced to a plateau above 90%, which was maintained between 16 and 34 weeks. The measured parameters from the fetal gall bladder had a significant positive relationship with gestational age (p = 0.000 for all cases), and the correlation of length and area with the gestational age (r = 0.741 and r = 0.690, respectively) was better than the correlation of width, height, and volume with gestational age. The repeatability coefficients and coefficients of variation between the two operators were 5.56 mm and 12.9% for the length and 344.11 mm(2) and 33.52% for the area. The median length of the fetal gall bladder in the Korean population was not significantly different from the mean length of gall bladders in the Caucasian and African-American populations (p = 0.915). CONCLUSION: We have provided reference values for the fetal gall bladder throughout the gestation period in the Korean population.

Vesícula biliar doble: resección laparoscópica / Galblader duplication: laparoscopic resection

Presentamos una anomalía congénita de las vías extrahepáticas, caracterizadas por una vesícula biliar doble. La enferma había sufrido dos episodios dolorosos febriles con colestasis; ambas cavidades eran litiásicas, la colangiografía retrógrada endoscópica orientó al diagnóstico de la anomalía del tipo "ductular" (císticos en H). Fue tratada mediante una resección laparoscópica, controlada por una colangiografía operatoria transcística. La histopatología confirmó la duplicación vesicular. La solución laparoscópica de esta patología tiene ventajas propias: menor "disconfort", corta hospitalización y un rápido retorno a todas las actividades; cabe agregar que la cirugía laparoscópica es menos inmunotraumática que la cirugía convencional