Work in progress: nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the gallbladder.

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Abstract
A preliminary study of the relation between food intake and intensity of gallbladder bile on NMR images was made. Twelve subjects (7 volunteers, 5 patients) were imaged following a minimum of 14 h of fasting. Six of 7 volunteers were reimaged 1 h after stimulation by either a fatty meal or an alcoholic beverage. An additional 7 patients were imaged 2 h after a hospital breakfast. Concentrated bile emits a high-intensity spin echo signal (SE), while hepatic bile in the gallbladder produces a low-intensity SE signal. Following ingestion of cholecystogogue, dilute hepatic bile settles on top of the concentrated bile, each emitting SE signals of different intensity. The average T1 value of concentrated bile was 594 ms, while the T1 value of dilute hepatic bile was 2646 ms. The average T2 values were 104 ms for concentrated bile and 126 ms for dilute bile. The most likely cause for the different SE intensities of bile is the higher water content, and therefore longer T1 and T2 relaxation times, of hepatic bile. NMR imaging may have the ability to provide physiological information about the gallbladder and it may prove to be a simple and safe clinical test of gallbladder function.

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