Variables affecting quantitative biliary scintigraphy in asymptomatic cholecystectomized volunteers.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Quantitative cholescintigraphy has been used to evaluate biliary emptying and, by some, as a screening test for sphincter of Oddi dyskinesia in cholecystectomized patients. Our aim was to identify variables that might effect the interpretation of the scintigraphy in asymptomatic cholecystectomized volunteers. METHODOLOGY: Quantitative cholescintigraphy was performed in 37 volunteer. There were 11 males and 26 females with a median age of 49 years (range: 32-82). The time interval from cholecystectomy ranged from 1 month to 30 years (median: 5 years). Eight subjects had also undergone choledocholithotomy during the cholecystectomy operation. RESULTS: From the time of the injection of the radioisotope to the maximum activity in the liver, the percentage of clearance and the hepatic hilum-duodenal transit time were measured to be 45 and 60 min, respectively. The maximum activity obtained in the liver was 17 +/- 10 min (mean +/- SD), and the percentage of clearance at 45 min was 52 +/- 22% and at 60 min 67 +/- 20%. Hilum-duodenal transit time was 12 +/- 11 min. The gender of the volunteer and previous choledocholithotomy did not correlate with the parameters studied. The age of the volunteer and the follow-up time had a positive correlation to the time of maximum activity and negative correlation to percentage of clearance. The follow-up time also had a positive correlation to hilum-duodenal transit time. In the multivariate analysis, the time interval since cholecystectomy was the only independent variable affecting study parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The length of the time interval since cholecystectomy but not the gender, age, or previous choledocholithotomy should be taken into consideration when the results of quantitative cholescintigraphy are interpreted.