Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 19, Issue 9 633-638, Copyright © 2000 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Value of prone positioning in the ultrasonographic diagnosis of gallstones: prospective study
D. M. Hough, K. N. Glazebrook, E. K. Paulson, J. D. Bowie and W. L. Foster
Department of Radiology, Durham VA Medical Center, North Carolina, USA.
To determine prospectively the value of prone/postprone positioning in the
sonographic detection of gallstones, 682 patients were scanned in the
recumbent, erect, and prone or postprone positions. The gallbladder was
evaluated for an intraluminal hyperechoic focus, shadowing, and
gravitational dependence and was identified in 679 patients. Among these,
28% had cholelithiasis. In five cases, prone positioning alone revealed
gallstones. In 11 of 140 cases, gravitational dependence was only seen with
prone scanning. The gallbladder was seen more frequently when the patients
were prone than erect. Prone or postprone scanning is a useful supplement
to the gallbladder examination, allowing increased demonstration of
gravitational dependence and increased stone detection.
