Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 15, Issue 12 821-825, Copyright © 1996 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Involvement of the gallbladder in childhood metachromatic leukodystrophy: ultrasonographic findings
T. S. Kim, I. O. Kim, W. S. Kim, Y. S. Choi, K. M. Yeon and Y. S. Hwang
Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
The purpose of this study was to analyze the peculiar involvement of the
gallbladder in childhood metachromatic leukodystrophy. Seven consecutive
children (four boys, three girls; age range, 9 to 58 months old; mean age,
24.3 months) with biochemically confirmed metachromatic leukodystrophy were
studied with abdominal ultrasonography. Four of them showed abnormal
findings, such as diffuse thickening of the gallbladder wall (more than 3
mm thick), sludge-like echogenic material, or papillary polypoid ingrowth
of inner wall obliterating the lumen. In childhood metachromatic
leukodystrophy, the characteristic abnormality of the gallbladder on
ultrasonography may serve as an ancillary diagnostic clue to supplement the
clinical and MR imaging findings, facilitating the differential diagnosis
from the other, similar leukodystrophies.
