Sonographic evaluation of gallbladder dimensions in healthy adults in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Several disease conditions can affect gallbladder (GB) size and wall thickness (WT). Imaging methods are superior to clinical evaluation in assessing GB dimensions. Ultrasonography is a relatively safe, inexpensive and reproducible imaging modality for assessing normal or diseased GB. There are few reports on normal GB dimensions in the Nigerian medical literature. This study therefore set out to contribute to data on GB dimensions among Nigerians. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study. Three hundred and twenty-two healthy adult volunteers, consisting of 133 males and 189 females were assessed, by ultrasound, following over night fasting. GB length, width, height and WT were measured for each subject. GB-V was calculated by the ellipsoid formula. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and comparison of measurements with biometric parameters. Statistical significance between the variables was done with the Students t-test, with 'P' value set at ≤0.05. Results: One hundred and thirty-three males (41.3%) and one hundred and eighty-nine females (58.7%) were studied. The mean age of subjects was 31.92±11.7 years. The mean values of the length (L), height (H), and width (W) of the GB were 6.16±1.09 cm; 2.75±0.58 cm; and 2.98±0.59 cm respectively. Mean GB-V was 27.2±12.8 cm 3 and WT 0.25±0.04 cm. Age and gender did not significantly influence GB measurements. Conclusions: A normal range of GB dimensions for the Benin City locality has been established. The study confirmed the non-dependence of GB measurements on age and gender.