Aim/background: Achalasia may be associated with extraesophageal dysmotility. However, this relation is still poorly understood. In the present study, we used noninvasive real-time ultrasonography to examine the motility function of the gallbladder in the patients with achalasia.
Materials and methods: Thirty-three achalasic patients and 33 healthy volunteers were included in the study. All subjects were investigated after 12 hours of fasting and 30 minutes after a standard test meal. Premeal and postmeal gallbladder volumes were used for calculation of the ejection fraction of the gallbladder and fasting gallbladder volume.
Results: The mean fasting volume (18.52+/-1.45 vs. 24.63+/-1.84 cm; P<0.05) and ejection fractions of gallbladder (35.84+/-4.12 vs. 54.47+/-2.47; P<0.05) in the patients with achalasia were lower than the control group.
Conclusions: Such a finding may confirm the possible extraesophageal extension of primary achalasia. Achalasic patients have smaller gallbladders than do others. It could be speculated that it is congenital and/or achalasic patients' gallbladder has incomplete relaxation (as in the lower esophageal sphincter of the achalasia).