Background: Early gallstone recurrence in some patients after “successful” percutaneous topical dissolution may be due to residual debris. An endoscope small enough to be introduced without dilating the existing percutaneous track was used for gallbladder examination after stone dissolution.

Methods: The sensitivity of gallbladder endoscopy was compared with ultrasonography and double-contrast cholecystography for the detection of residual debris or mucosal lesions in 18 patients who underwent percutaneous topical dissolution. All examinations were performed before catheter removal and after the gallbladder was deemed stone-free by the traditionally employed technique of single-contrast cholecystography.

Results: Residual debris was detected in only one patient by ultrasonography and in none of the 18 patients by double-contrast cholecystography, yet endoscopy showed stone fragments ranging from 1 to 3 mm in 13 of the 18 patients. In all these patients, catheter repositioning and additional solvent perfusion resulted in elimination of the debris as assessed endoscopically. Two patients had endoscopically detected erosions. Double-contrast fluoroscopy found only one of these, whereas ultrasonography detected neither.

Conclusions: Percutaneous gallbladder endoscopy is a more sensitive imaging modality for the detection of residual stone debris or mucosal lesions after gallstone dissolution. (Gastrointest Endosc 1995;42:434-8.)