The ultrasonographic diagnosis of cholecystitis and cholelithiasis in children.

Cholecystitis and cholelithiasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain in children. Ultrasonography should be a primary screening test because it allows rapid evaluation of the gallbladder and identifies other possible causes of the symptomatology. The presence of a thickened gallbladder wall, cholelithiasis, or a nonvisualized gallbladder indicates gallbladder disease. Since acalculous cholecystitis is more common in children than it is in adults, it is particularly important to examine the gallbladder wall carefully for evidence of thickening.