Contractility of the Inflamed Gallbladder

We studied the contractility of the inflamed canine gallbladder in response to a cholecystokinin stimulus, by means of serial roentgenograms of the gallbladder (cholecystokinin cholecystography). Recent work in humans has documented differences in the shape and contractility of the inflamed gallbladder after a cholecystokinin stimulus, when compared to normals. Cholecystitis was induced in dogs by percutaneous injection of sodium hypochlorite directly into the gallbladder lumen. Cholecystokinin cholecystography was then used to determine the size and degree of contraction of inflamed gallbladders when compared to normals. We found that the acutely inflamed gallbladder had a reduced resting size. Although there was a trend toward increased gallbladder contractility in acute cholecystitis, the wide range in size and degree of contractility of normal gallbladders tended to minimize any size difference and response to cholecystokinin. No changes in size or contractility were noted in chronic cholecystitis, and no abnormal gallbladder shapes were noted.