[Ultrasonographic study of gallbladder kinetic activity in patients with motor-like dyspepsia]

Forty-six subjects affected with functional dyspepsia (the coherence of illness was excluded by proper research) not classifiable, according to Drossman principles, into reflex-like or ulcer-like dyspepsia class have been studied. All the patients, asked about either the presence or the absence of any dyspeptic symptoms, with the only condition that the symptom indicated had been present at least for three months continuously, were subjected to abdominal ultrasonography and after-meal cholecystokinetic. The emptying of cholecyst has been monitored until 150 minutes after meal, at near intervals. As Control Group subjects have been used, free from dyspeptic symptomatology and superimposable by age, sex and alimentary habits to the patients of the Study Group.

The authors observed a) that the initial cholecystic volume after 15 minutes was significantly (p<0.001) reduced in the patients with dyspeptic symptoms, compared with those of the Control Group; b) that there was not significant difference between the two groups at 30, 45, 60 minutes; c) that in the patients of the Control Group cholecyst had returned to its normal volume in 90-120 minutes while, in the Study Group it had kept its volume almost unchanged until 150 min after meal, with a highly significant difference between the two groups (p<0.001). From the clinic-symptomatologic point view, the authors have verified, besides the proper symptoms of motor-like dyspepsia, also other symptoms not indicated by other authors, and precisely ''after meal sleepiness'', ''bitter mouth'' and ''after meal cephalea'', in 41 to 63%.

The authors suppose that in the patients with functional dyspepsia, not reflex-like or ulcer-like dyspepsia the kinetic disorder responsible for symptomatology is in any way related to a disorder of kinetic activity of cholecyst.