Cholecystogram means x-ray of the gallbladder.

• A. Surgical removal of the gallbladder
• B. Ultrasound of the gallbladder
• C. Gallbladder function test
• D. X-ray of the gallbladder

Answer: (D)

Understanding medical terms by parts helps you see what the procedure does. Cholecystogram is built from chole- meaning bile or gallbladder, cyst meaning bladder or sac, and -gram meaning a record or image. Put together, this points to an imaging study that produces a radiographic image of the gallbladder. In practice, this test uses contrast to outline the gallbladder on an X-ray, so it is an X-ray of the gallbladder. The other options describe different procedures: surgical removal, ultrasound, or a functional test, none of which match the meaning implied by -gram as an image or record.