Oral cholecystogram

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Cholecystitis, CT scan

Cholecystitis, cholangiogram

Cholecystolithiasis

Gallbladder

Cholecystogram

Overview

Risks

Results

Oral cholecystogram

Alternative Names:

X-ray - gallbladder; Gallbladder series; OCG; Gallbladder x-ray

What the risks are:

There is a chance of an allergic reaction to the contrast material.

There is low radiation exposure. X-rays are monitored and regulated to provide the minimum amount of radiation exposure needed to produce the image. Most experts feel that the risk is low compared with the benefits. Pregnant women and children are more sensitive to the risks of x-rays.

Special considerations:

If you have a history of severe kidney or lung damage, you are at increased risk of injury or side effects from the procedure. In those cases, the gallbladder ultrasound is more often used instead of the x-ray examination.

Ultrasound and MRI examination of the gallbladder has largely replaced Oral cholecystogram for imaging, especially in patients with diseased livers. For functional evaluation of the gallbladder, a nuclear medicine HIDA scan may instead be performed.

Review Date: 1/24/2005
Reviewed By: Jeffrey J. Brown, M.D., F.A.C.R., Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review Provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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