The role of sincalide cholescintigraphy in the evaluation of patients with acalculus gallbladder disease.

Thirty-six patients with biliary colic and normal oral cholecystograms, upper gastrointestinal tract roentgenograms, and results of gallbladder ultrasonography underwent sincalide-stimulated biliary excretion scanning. Nineteen of these patients subsequently underwent cholecystectomies. Gallbladder ejection fractions (EFs) ranged from 0% to 88% (mean, 38%) and nine of 19 patients had exact pain reproduction with sincalide. All patients except one (EF, 35%) were cured of their symptoms. However, five patients were also cured who had a normal EF (greater than 50%). Histologically, 11 gallbladders showed chronic cholecystitis and eight were normal. We conclude that the sincalide biliary excretion scan is a useful test to study this group of patients. In patients with a decreased EF, cholecystectomy can be recommended with a high probability of symptom relief. In patients with normal EFs, clinical judgment is required, as some of these patients (five of five in this series) may still benefit from operation.