Ultrasound or sonography of abdomen is the gold standard for diagnosis of all types of gallbladder ailments including gallstones, medically known as gallbladder calculi or cholelithiasis. Apart from being safe, relatively cheaper and easily accessible, ultrasound can show the gallstones really well. Ultrasound shows the stone as highly reflective echogenic focus against the background of bile in the lumen of gallbladder. It can accurately detect the number as well as sizes of the stones. Ultrasound is done in real time and hence can also help to detect mobility of stones with change in position of the patient. Moreover, it can show the various complications of gallstone disease like impaction at neck of gallbladder, gallbladder wall thickening and fluid collection around the gallbladder due to inflammation. Ultrasound can also reveal signs of blockage of bile flow due to the stones. Many studies have shown that ultrasound is more sensitive and specific than CT scan to detect gallstones with an accuracy of about 90 to 95%. Since it uses sound waves instead of radiation its absolutely safe to be performed in cases of gallstones during pregnancy as well.
At MITR hospital Kharghar, along with the presence of a dedicated medical and surgical GI team, there is availability of latest five probe 4D sonography machine with experienced radiologist.
