Chronic cholecystitis and the oral cholecystogram.

Gallbladder image density at oral cholecystography has been compared with histological grading of the severity of chronic cholecystitis in resulting cholecystectomy specimens. (i) There was a linear relationship between gallbladder opacification and the grade of chronic cholecystitis. (ii) Removal of patients with either non-opacified gallbladders or abnormal liver function did not alter the linear trend. (iii) The occurrence of gallstones was independent of the degree of gallbladder opacification. (iv) The presence of gallstones did not correlate with the severity of chronic cholecystitis. A standardised oral cholecystographic technique with a grading system for gallbladder image density can be used as an index of the severity of chronic cholecystitis.