[The sonographic image of gallbladder adenomyomatosis]

Compared with oral or intravenous cholecystography, a diagnosis of adenomyomatosis of the gall bladder is only rarely made by ultrasound. In nine patients this diagnosis was made by sonography and confirmed at operation or by cholecystography. In four patients it was an incidental finding during ERCP. The main feature is localised or generalised thickening of the wall of the gall bladder with a smooth outer contour. In seven cases there were small cysts in the wall and in two echogenic areas in the wall. An important criterion for distinguishing between inflammatory and neoplastic mural thickening is the contractility of the gall bladder.