Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Author Spotlight: Unraveling the Impact of Mechanical Ventilation on Diaphragm Function and Patient Outcomes
Published on: November 3, 2023
Accuracy of Right Upper Quadrant Ultrasound in Estimating Gallbladder Wall Thickness
Lindsay Cefalu1, Robert McMurray1, Grant Sizemore1
1Departments of Surgery.
Objective:
Ultrasound (US) evaluation of biliary pathology can be influenced by a variety of factors. This study examines the effect of patient specific factors on the accuracy of sonographic evaluation of gallbladder wall thickness (GBW).
Methods:
We performed a retrospective review of all patients who underwent cholecystectomy at a single institution from November 2012 to October 2015. GBW measured on US was compared with pathology results. Results were analyzed in relation to patient specific factors to include BMI, age, presence of diabetes, sex, and urgent versus elective cases.
Results:
In total 601 patients underwent cholecystectomy, 484 of which had paired preoperative US GBW measurement and postoperative pathologic specimen measurement. No significant difference in accuracy or precision of US measurement of the GBW based on BMI was found. Accuracy was not related to age, sex, urgency, or diabetes. Precision decreased with pathologic thickening, age, male sex, and urgent case performance.
Conclusions:
US is accurate in measuring GB wall thickness regardless of patient specific factors. A nonsignificant trend exists with decreased precision with pathologic thickening, age, male sex, and urgently performed cases.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Gallbladder
The gallbladder's anatomy consists of three regions: the fundus, body, and neck. Extending from the neck, the cystic duct joins...
Abdominal Regions and Quadrants
The simpler quadrants approach, which is more commonly used in medicine, subdivides the cavity with one horizontal and one vertical line that intersects at the patient's umbilicus (navel). The four...
Diseases of the Liver and Gallbladder
Cirrhosis is characterized by the scarring of hepatic lobules in the liver, which are replaced by fibrous tissue, affecting the liver's normal functioning. NAFLD, on the other hand, is caused by an excessive build-up of fat in the liver, not...
Improving Translational Accuracy
Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision
Accuracy and Precision

