Gallbladder distention in ill preterm infants

Abstract

Four ill preterm infants each had a severely dilated gallbladder that was detected as a right-upper-quadrant abdominal mass. In each infant, the diagnosis was suspected on physical examination and confirmed by ultrasound study. One extremely premature infant with respiratory distress syndrome died, and at autopsy, the gallbladder and biliary tree showed no abnormalities, except for severe gallbladder distention. In the other three infants, distention of the gallbladder resolved spontaneously.