Cholecystokinin cholescintigraphic findings in the cystic duct syndrome.

Fourteen patients with a cystic duct syndrome (CDS) underwent cholecystokinin (CCK) cholescintigraphy. All patients presented with persistent postprandial right upper quadrant pain and biliary colic. None of the patients had an abnormal oral cholecystography, gallbladder (GB) ultrasound exam or upper GI series. Each patient (NPO after 12 a.m.) received 5 mCi of technetium-99m disofenin. When the GB maximally filled, 0.02 microgram/kg CCK was administered (3 min) intravenously. Background corrected gallbladder ejection fractions (GBEFs) were determined every 5 min X 4 by rationing the pre-CCK GB counts minus post-CCK GB counts to pre-CCK GB counts. GBEFs were: 12% (3 patients), 17% (2), 0%, 1.3%, 3%, 4%, 6%, 11%, 14%, 18.5%, and 22% (1 each). All patients underwent a surgical exploration and all had macro- or microscopically abnormal cystic ducts (five fibrotic, seven elongated and narrow, two kinked) with (12 patients) or without (2 patients) concomitant chronic cholecystitis. No patient with a partially occluded cystic duct with or without concomitant chronic cholecystitis had an ejection fraction that exceeded 22%. In an appropriate clinical setting, a low EF response to CCK should alert the physician to the presence of either chronic acalculous cholecystitis, CDS, or the combination of both.