Gallbladder ejection fraction using 99mTc-DISIDA scan in diabetic autonomic neuropathy

We performed this study to evaluate the changes of gallbladder ejection fraction (GBEF) in diabetic patients with or without autonomic neuropathy. This study included 37 diabetic patients (25 women, 12 men, mean age 51 years) and 24 normal controls (10 women, 14 men, mean age 38 years). After intravenous injection of 185 MBq of 99mTc-DISIDA, serial anterior abdominal images were acquired before and after fatty meal. Regions of interest were applied on gallbladder and right hepatic lobe on 60 and 90 minute images to calculate GBEF. GBEF was significantly reduced in diabetes with autonomic neuropathy (43±12.3%) and without autonomic neuropathy (57.5±13.2%) compared with normal controls (68±11.6%, p<0.05). And also, GBEF was significantly reduced in diabetes with autonomic neuropathy compared with diabetes without autonomic neuropathy (p<0.05). Fasting blood glucose level, age, sex, hemoglobin A1c, body mass index, serum lipid level were not different in these two diabetic patient groups (p>0.05). When 50.2% of GBEF was used as the criteria for diabetic autonomic neuropathy, the sensitivity and specificity were 80%, 76.5%, respectively. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.846. GBEF of diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy was significantly reduced than that of diabetic patients without autonomic neuropathy.=20