Relationship between pain symptoms and referred sensory and trophic changes in patients with gallbladder pathology

The relationship was investigated between algogenic potential of gallbladder pathology and occurrence/extent of sensory and trophic changes in the referred area. Five groups of subjects were studied, with: symptomatic gallbladder calculosis (3–20 colics); asymptomatic calculosis; symptomatic gallbladder shape abnormality (8–18 colics); asymptomatic shape abnormality; normal gallbladder/no symptoms. At the cystic point (CP) and contralaterally, all underwent measurement of: pain thresholds to electrical stimulation of skin, subcutis and muscle; thickness of subcutis and muscle via ultrasounds. Contralaterally to CP, all thresholds were not significantly different in the five groups. At CP, subcutis and muscle thresholds were significantly lower in symptomatic vs asymptomatic patients and/or normals (0.0001< P< 0.05). In symptomatic cases, at CP compared to contralaterally, subcutis and muscle thresholds were significantly lower (0.0001< P