Related Experiment Videos
Gallbladder contraction in familial dysautonomia.
E Broide1, S Strauss, N A Kimchi
1Institute of Gastroenterology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|May 6, 1999
Summary
Familial dysautonomia (FD) patients show normal gallbladder contraction after a fatty meal, similar to healthy individuals. This suggests no increased risk for gallstones in FD patients.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Autonomic Nervous System Research
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a genetic disorder affecting the autonomic nervous system.
- Gastrointestinal dysfunction is a common complication in patients with FD.
- The impact of FD on gallbladder function remains largely uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gallbladder contraction function in patients with familial dysautonomia.
- To compare gallbladder function in FD patients with that of healthy controls.
- To determine if FD necessitates specific preventive measures for gallstone formation.
Main Methods:
- Real-time ultrasonography was used to measure gallbladder volume.
- Gallbladder contraction was assessed before and after a standardized fatty meal (50 g).
- Nine FD patients were compared with nine age- and gender-matched healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Healthy controls had a larger gallbladder volume pre-meal compared to FD patients (25.4 vs. 15.4 ml; p=0.024).
- Post-meal gallbladder volumes were not significantly different between groups (12.1 ml in controls vs. 9.0 ml in FD patients).
- The percentage of gallbladder contraction was similar in both groups (53.4% in controls vs. 44.8% in FD patients).
Conclusions:
- Gallbladder contraction function in patients with familial dysautonomia is comparable to the general population.
- FD patients do not exhibit impaired gallbladder emptying.
- There is no apparent increased risk of gallstone formation solely due to familial dysautonomia.