Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 3, Issue 3 123-129, Copyright © 1984 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Ultrasonic detection of calcification in gallstones: "the reverberation shadow"
S. G. Parulekar
Observation of reverberations within a gallstone shadow (the "reverberation
shadow") resulted in this study. Reverberation shadow was seen in sonograms
of 27 patients with gallstones and three patients with milk of calcium
bile. Calcification within gallstones was demonstrated by radiography or
computed tomography in 22 of the 27 patients with gallstones, associated
with the reverberation shadow. Whether the remaining five patients had
calcified gallstones remains unknown. This study suggests that the
reverberation shadow produced by gallstones indicates the presence of
calcification within the gallstones.
