Biliary dyskinesia in children

Abstract

Biliary dyskinesia (BD) is a well-recognized cause of chronic abdominal pain in adults, but is less common in children. We reviewed our experience with the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up in a group of children treated with cholecystectomy from March 1995 to October 2000. We identified children with chronic upper abdominal pain, normal ultrasonography (US), and delayed cholecystokinin (CCK)-stimulated gallbladder emptying (<35%). All other diagnostic tests for their abdominal pain were reviewed. Their treatment, surgical intervention, and outcome were recorded. During the study period, 74 cholecystectomies were performed in our institution, 10 (13.5%) of them for BD. The duration of symptoms ranged between 1 and 60 months (mean 22). All patients had a normal plain abdominal radiograph, normal US, and delayed gallbladder ejection fraction (EF). All were treated by elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Symptoms were completely relieved in all patients during the follow-up period, which ranged between 9 and 24 months (mean 12.8). Cholecystectom should be considered in children with chronic upper-abdominal pain and delayed EF on CCK-HIDA scintigraphy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the procedure of choice in these patients.