Wall-echo-shadow sign (ultrasound)
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Thewall-echo-shadow sign (also known as WES sign) ) is an ultrasonographic finding within the gallbladder fossa referring to the appearance of a "wall-echo-shadow"
- a curvilinear hyperechogenic line representing the gallbladder wall
- a thin hypoechoic space representing a small amount of bile
- a curvilinear hyperechogenic line representing the near surface of gallstone(s)
- and acoustic shadowing distal to the surface of the gallstone(s)
The sign suggests either a largegallstone or multiple small gallstones filling the lumen of a contracted or incompletely visualized gallbladder. Recognizing this finding helps to avoid misinterpretation of an stone-filled gallbladder as a loop of bowel3.
Differential diagnosis
- air-filled loop of bowel
-
porcelain gallbladder: lacks the
thinthin hypoechoic bile space between the wall and gallstone, as seen in the wall-echo-shadow sign - Emphysematous cholecystitis
-<p>The <strong>wall-echo-shadow sign</strong><strong> (</strong>also known as<strong> WES sign) </strong><strong>)</strong> is an ultrasonographic finding within the gallbladder fossa referring to the appearance of a "wall-echo-shadow"</p><ul>- +<p>The <strong>wall-echo-shadow sign</strong><strong> (</strong>also known as<strong> WES sign</strong><strong>)</strong> is an ultrasonographic finding within the gallbladder fossa referring to the appearance of a "wall-echo-shadow"</p><ul>
-</ul><p>The sign suggests either a large <a href="/articles/cholelithiasis">gallstone</a> or multiple small gallstones filling the lumen of a contracted or incompletely visualized gallbladder. Recognizing this finding helps to avoid misinterpretation of an stone-filled gallbladder as a loop of bowel <sup>3</sup>.</p><h4>Differential diagnosis</h4><ul>- +</ul><p>The sign suggests either a large <a href="/articles/cholelithiasis">gallstone</a> or multiple small gallstones filling the lumen of a contracted or incompletely visualized gallbladder. Recognizing this finding helps to avoid misinterpretation of an stone-filled gallbladder as a loop of bowel <sup>3</sup>.</p><h4>Differential diagnosis</h4><ul>
-<a href="/articles/porcelain-gallbladder">porcelain gallbladder</a>: lacks the thin hypoechoic bile space between the wall and gallstone, as seen in the wall-echo-shadow sign</li>- +<a href="/articles/porcelain-gallbladder">porcelain gallbladder</a>: lacks the thin hypoechoic bile space between the wall and gallstone, as seen in the wall-echo-shadow sign</li>
- +<li><a title="Emphysematous cholecystitis" href="/articles/emphysematous-cholecystitis">Emphysematous cholecystitis</a></li>
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