Abstract
The gallbladder has been assessed using ultrasound since 1951 (see Fig. page viii). Acute acalculous cholecystitis is a traditional complication and a classic target for general ultrasound in the intensive care unit. Time has not modified the opinion we expressed in our previous editions, using histological examination as the “gold standard”. First, this disorder seems to remain exceptional in the medical ICU and affects mostly surgical patients. Second, if ultrasound can accurately describe data, the very interpretation of these data remains subtle. In fact, the gallbladder can show a wide variety of patterns, from the normal to the pathological, in passing even picturesque (Figs. 8.1 and 8.2). A strictly normal gallbladder in the ICU is an infrequent finding (see Fig. 4.9 page 30). The variations in volume, wall thickness, content, shape and surroundings create infinite combinations. Some are variants of the normal, some are pathological but do not require emergency procedures, and others need prompt surgery.
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Lichtenstein, D.A. (2010). Gallbladder. In: Whole Body Ultrasonography in the Critically Ill. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-05328-3_8
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