Gallbladderrelated

Gallbladder-related conditions refer to diseases and processes involving the gallbladder and related biliary structures. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ under the liver that stores and concentrates bile, a digestive juice produced by hepatocytes. When food enters the intestine, the gallbladder contracts and releases bile through the cystic duct into the common bile duct and then into the duodenum via the sphincter of Oddi. Bile helps digest fats.

Common disorders include gallstones (cholelithiasis), inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), biliary colic, biliary sludge, gallbladder polyps, porcelain gallbladder, and less commonly gallbladder cancer. Gallstones form from cholesterol, bilirubin, and calcium salts and may be asymptomatic or cause pain and obstruction.

Symptoms often include pain in the right upper quadrant, sometimes after meals, along with nausea or vomiting; fever and tenderness can occur in acute cholecystitis; jaundice may arise if bile ducts are obstructed.

Diagnosis typically begins with abdominal ultrasound. Blood tests may show signs of inflammation or cholestasis. Further tests such as a HIDA scan assess gallbladder function, and MRCP or ERCP visualize the biliary tree. The differential diagnosis includes peptic ulcer disease and pancreatitis.

Treatment depends on the condition and symptoms. Most asymptomatic gallstones are not treated. Symptomatic stones or cholecystitis are commonly managed with cholecystectomy, usually via laparoscopy. In complicated cases, antibiotics and drainage may be required, and dissolution therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid can be considered for select patients, though it is not durable. Complications include biliary obstruction leading to pancreatitis or cholangitis, recurrent cholecystitis, and, though rare, gallbladder cancer.