Evaluation of gallbladder volume and motility in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients using real-time ultrasonography.

Abstract

The prevalence of cholelithiasis is 2 to 3 times higher in patients with diabetes mellitus than in the normal population, especially in a group of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). We investigated the pathogenesis of this increased prevalence by ultrasonography with a brief comparison of demographic features. The study group was consisted of NIDDM patients (41 males and 47 females, mean age 53.5 +/- 11 years), and the control group included healthy volunteers (33 males and 34 females, mean age 50.3 +/- 18 years). All patients were investigated after 12 hours of fasting and 30 minutes after a standard test meal. Pre-meal and post-meal gallbladder volumes were used for calculation of the ejection fraction of the gallbladder and fasting gallbladder volume. In the study group, there was no correlation between the fasting gallbladder volume and age, parity, and body mass index. However, fasting gallbladder volume and duration of diabetes mellitus showed significant correlation (r = 0.212, P < 0.05). The mean ejection fraction of gallbladders in the study group was 48.48%, whereas that of the control group was 56.32%. There was a significant reduction of ejection fraction in the study group (P = 0.003). Our study indicated that there were an increased fasting gallbladder volume and impaired ejection fraction in NIDDM patients. This may be the initiator of bile stasis in the gallbladder and subsequent cholesterol crystal and stone formation.